Congressional Briefing: Building Safety in the Face of Natural Disasters

Just this year, Americans have faced devastating natural disasters from
earthquakes and floods to hurricanes and tornados. The performance of a
community's structures during and after a natural disaster can have significant
implications on the ability of the community to return back to normal. Building
codes set the minimum level of performance expected from buildings. Learn how
the results of laboratory testing and real-world disasters are translated into building
codes which ultimately protect lives and property.


October 5, 2011 • 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
U.S. House of Representatives
121 Cannon House Office Building

Moderator

Ryan M. Colker, Presidential Advisor,
National Institute of Building Sciences

In Cooperation with
Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) s
Co-Chairs, High Performance Building Congressional Caucus

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Co-Chairs, Congressional Hazards Caucus

Presentations

Understanding the Impacts of Hazards on Buildings
Julie Rochman
Institute for Business and Home Safety

Translating Knowledge to On-the-Ground Results
Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA
President, National Institute of Building Sciences

Building Codes as a Mitigation Tool
Guy Tomberlin,
Code Specialist, Fairfax County, VA