IS-8.A: Building for the Earthquakes of Tomorrow: Complying with Executive Order 12699

Since the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act was passed in 1977, many actions have been taken to improve seismic safety. Executive Order 12699, “Seismic Safety of Federal and Federally Assisted or Regulated New Building Construction,” signed by President Bush in January 1990 is a significant Federal seismic risk reduction action. This Executive Order requires all new Federal, federally assisted, and federally regulated buildings to be appropriately seismic resistant. Among new construction affected are all buildings financed, either partially or fully, with Federal grants or federally guaranteed loans.

Because this Executive Order is so wide reaching, covering everything from single-family dwellings to large Federal complexes across the nation, a training course was needed to provide the tools, information, and planning guidance for those people affected by the Executive Order. The purpose of this course is to provide individuals in State and local governments, and the building and financial industries, with information about the requirements of the Executive Order and how they will be implemented. The course is also intended to provide the student with basic knowledge about earthquakes and how buildings can be built to be safe during an earthquake.

The goal of this training course is to provide the students with the tools, information, and planning guidance they need to effectively deal with and prepare for the implementation of the Executive Order and its consequences.

At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Describe the intent and implications of the Executive Order and the consequences of noncompliance;
• Describe how the Executive Order will affect the built environment;
• Describe the theory and practice of the Executive Order, hazard mitigation, and the need/rationale for including seismic provisions in the building codes;
• Compare Executive Order standards and local codes to determine substantive differences and deficiencies; and
• Develop a plan of action to achieve compliance if local codes do not comply with the Executive Order.