Building code modifications for enhanced resiliency

Enhanced resilience should be a key component for buildings located in disaster prone areas to minimise negative environmental impacts, and facilitate security and community continuity. The primary emphasis of current building codes is to provide minimum levels of life safety. Thus, for hurricanes, floods, storm surges, wildland fires and other events where evacuation can be managed in a timely fashion the minimum requirements tend to be lacking with regard to providing adequate property protection and facilitating community preparedness; mitigation; response, relief and recovery. The resulting destruction typically results in excessive amounts of: 1) materials disposed in landfills; 2) resources expended on disaster response, relief, and recovery; 3) time required for services, residents, and businesses to return. The concepts of enhanced resilience are discussed and a set of recommended code criteria are provided for use in disaster prone areas and for designing sustainable buildings.