Projects : Task Order 05

SUMMARY

Integration of Collapse Risk Mitigation Standards and Guidelines for Older Reinforced Concrete Buildings into National Standards: Phase I

The National Science Foundation, awarded a George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Grand Challenge project to the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center that uses NEES resources to develop comprehensive strategies for identifying seismically hazardous older concrete buildings, enable prediction of the collapse of such buildings and to develop and promote cost-effective hazard mitigation strategies for them. Products from this research effort are expected to soon be available, creating an opportunity for transferring past and present research results into design practice. Key work to be carried out under this task order includes:

(1) formal communication with representatives from the NSF-funded Grand Challenge research project, Mitigation of Collapse Risks in Older Reinforced Concrete Buildings, (2) review of available sources in the literature regarding current research and practice related to older concrete buildings; (3) preparation of a technical report summarizing current standards of practice and available information; and (4) preparation of an updated Project Work Plan for completing the eventual guidance document.

Project Director: Ken Elwood, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Project Technical Committee:
• Practitioner with extensive experience in the assessment and upgrade of older concrete buildings (William T. Holmes, Rutherford & Chekene, San Francisco, California)

• Researcher with extensive experience in the testing and analysis of concrete buildings (Laura Lowes, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington)

• Representative from the NEES Grand Challenge research project, Mitigation of Collapse Risks in Older Reinforced Concrete Buildings (Jack Moehle, University of California, Berkeley)

• Representative of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Concrete Coalition, Craig Comartin, CD Comartin, Inc., Stockton, California)

• Practitioner with extensive experience in assessment and upgrade of older Midwest and/or East Coast concrete construction (Dominic Kelly, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Boston, Massachussets)

Project Review Panel:
• Practitioner with experience in assessment and upgrade of older concrete buildings in Southern California (Mike Mehrain, URS Corporation, Los Angeles, California)

• Representative of ACI Committee 369 on seismic repair and rehabilitation of concrete buildings (Afshar Jalalian, Rutherford & Chekene, San Francisco, California)

• Practitioner with experience in assessment and upgrade of older Midwest and/or East Coast concrete construction (Nathan Gould, ABS Consulting, St. Louis, Missouri)

• Researcher with experience in the testing and analysis of older concrete buildings (Jim Jirsa, University of Texas, Austin)

• Practitioner with experience in assessment and upgrade of older concrete buildings in the Pacific Northwest (Terry Lundeen, Coughlin Porter Lundeen Inc., Seattle, Washington)

• Additional representative from the NEES Grand Challenge research project (Julio Ramirez, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana)