Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative partners announce disaster-resilient construction workshops

Source: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.

NRMCA, in cooperation with Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative (CJSI) partners, is conducting a series of workshops to communicate the trends and specific criteria used to design and construct homes and buildings to improve community continuity and resiliency. The purpose of the workshops is to inform decision makers at the local level on the importance of enhanced resiliency in construction to improve community continuity in the face of disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes and floods.

The workshop covers a range of topics designed to formalize the process of implementing disaster resilient construction at the community level. Items covered include: identifying natural and man-made disasters; assessing local disaster risks; building code requirements for residential and commercial buildings; disaster mitigation techniques; benefits of disaster mitigation; FORTIFIED for Safer Living and Safer Business; safe rooms and storm shelters; flood-resistant construction; fire resistant construction; earthquake resistant construction; enhanced resilience through building code modifications; and, economic solutions with concrete building systems.

Concrete has long been recognized as the material of choice for resisting high winds, flying debris and storm surge along with superior fire and earthquake resistance. In addition, with the increased attention to green building, concrete building systems are essential in fortifying a community’s economic vitality and ensuring the safety of its citizens for long-term sustainability. The workshops will conclude with details of disaster-resilient concrete building systems, including cast-in-place concrete, precast concrete, tilt-up concrete, insulating concrete forms and concrete masonry.

Builders, developers, architects, engineers, contractors, product manufacturers, building officials and community leaders are invited to attend. The general public is also welcome. Attendees will receive six Professional Development Hours (PDHs), six AIA-CES HSW Learning Units (LUs), or six USGBC Continuing Education Hours (CEs).

The full-day workshops are scheduled for April 12, Springfield, Mo.; April 17, Sioux Falls, S.D.; April 19, Centennial, Colo.; May 15, Pewaukee, Wis.; May 17, Louisville, Ky.; and, May 30, Portsmouth, N.H. The registration fee is $95 and includes lunch. Additional details and registration can be found at www.nrmca.org/resilience.