Buildings in the U.S. are generally designed for normal conditions. This new standard could help engineers prevent the worst.

View as a Web Page New Building Standard Paves the Way for Collapse-Resistant Structures Buildings in the U.S. are generally designed to withstand the usual suspects: rain, wind, snow and the occasional earthquake. Abnormal events such as gas explosions, vehicle impacts or uncontrolled building fires are not typically a consideration. If vulnerable buildings face any of these unanticipated events, the results could be tragic. But now, a new building standard can help engineers prevent the worst. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has released the ASCE/SEI 76-23 Standard for Mitigation of Disproportionate Collapse Potential in Buildings and Other Structures, the first national building standard of its kind. Developed over the course of a decade and informed by research led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the standard provides design requirements and guidance to keep small, isolated failures in a structure from propagating and bringing down the entire building or a major part of it — a phenomenon the standard defines as disproportionate collapse. Read More IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Proposed Updates to Steel Building Standard Could Enhance Earthquake Resilience Jan. 7, 2022 NIST researchers and collaborators have devised new limits for column slenderness. The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), a standards organization, has adopted the proposed limits in a draft for public feedback. Read More

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