TAMPA - Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is pleased to announce that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has published its Compendium Report (FEMA P-2054) on the performance of residential, commercial and governmental buildings in areas affected by the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.
The Atkins-authored report will be a critical tool for communities seeking to 'build back stronger' after disasters of national significance and reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of future storms. This work falls under SNCL Engineering Services, a key pillar of SNC-Lavalin's growth strategy.
In 2017 FEMA deployed more than 75 subject matter experts (SMEs) formed into mitigation assessment teams (MATs) to Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Atkins, through its STARR II joint venture, sent SMEs to participate in the MATs and conduct forensic engineering evaluations of building performance, document observations, draw conclusions and provide recommendations to improve building safety and resilience. The FEMA P-2054 report summarizes the observations, conclusions and recommendations from the four MAT reports developed for the 2017 hurricane season.
'The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was extremely active, producing 17 named storms, including six major hurricanes' said Diana Castro, Senior Engineer, Atkins. 'We believe the contents of this report will improve building safety and resiliency through informed design and construction guidance and best practices.'
Higher priority recommendations in the report include: Review and update building codes, standards and regulations with the latest model building codes and referenced standards. Code enforcement staff should be trained adequately, and inspectors should ensure construction follows applicable codes and standards.
Elevate new and substantially damaged/substantially improved buildings above the National Flood Insurance Program elevation requirements to protect them from flooding. Facility managers should routinely re-evaluate dry floodproofing designs and plans after deployment and instill a culture of preparedness.
Building owners and facility managers should ensure roof-mounted equipment is mounted adequately and protect glazed openings to prevent wind-related damage. Topographic effects of wind speed-up should also be factored into building design.
The recommendations are intended to assist states, communities, facility managers, contractors, building owners, local officials and individuals in the reconstruction process, as well as help reduce future damage and impacts from flood and wind events such as those that occurred during the 2017 hurricane season.
Contact:
Maureen Nayowith
Tel: +1 303.214.0840
About Atkins
Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is one of the world's most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, employing over 18,300 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe. We build long term trusted partnerships to create a world where lives are enriched through the implementation of our ideas. You can view Atkins' recent projects on our website.
About SNC-Lavalin
Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world. SNC-Lavalin connects people, technology and data to help shape and deliver world-leading concepts and projects, while offering comprehensive innovative solutions across the asset lifecycle. Our expertise is wide-ranging - consulting & advisory, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and sustaining capital - and delivered to clients in four strategic sectors: EDPM (engineering, design and project management), Infrastructure, Nuclear and Resources, supported by Capital.
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