NATURAL DISASTER MIT IGATION
ISSUE:
Revisions to CD-54, Natural Disasters Resistive Design, and Handbook H-08-8,
Earthquake Resistant Design Requirements for VA Hospital Facilities, and disaster
alerts. H-08-8 has been renamed H-18-8, Seismic Design Requirements.
DISCUSSION:
1. Issue of signed documents is expected shortly. However, both of these documents
are now available in Final Draft format.
2. Major changes to these documents include:
A. Addition of hurricane and major flood criteria in CD-54.
B. In H-18-8, "Amax" values have been replaced by an equivalent "Z" factor, which
is more in line with the Uniform Building Code. Through these Z factors, a
determination is made if a medical center should have seismic bracing of non-
structural elements, e. g., equipment, architectural items, piping, and ductwork;
emergency water and fuel oil storage; sewage holding tanks; etc.
C. In CD-54, the threshold of implementation of seismic bracing of piping and
ductwork has changed from Amax = 0.15 to a "Z" factor of 0.20.
3. The requirement for sizing the emergency water storage is based on a water
demand for four days. The fuel oil supply for the emergency generators is also to be
designed for four days. The VA Advisory Committee for Structural Safety (ACSS) has
observed that some medical facilities have been without water and fuel for 7 to 14 days
after a natural disaster. Therefore, if your facility in located in a seismic risk area (Z =
0.20 or greater), a hurricane area, or a major flood area, arrangements should be made
for additional outside emergency water and fuel oil.
4. The ACSS also observed after the Northridge earthquake that the lack of
communications hindered evacuation and rescue operations. The VA Emergency
Medical Preparedness Office (304-264-4823) can provide assistance.
5. Another observation by the ACSS is that at many disaster sites, no one knew where
the water and fuel gas shut-off valves were located. It is recommended that as-built
drawings identifying these shut-off valves be easily available in an emergency and that
lost on-site identification tags for valves be replaced.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFOR MATION:
Contact Kris Banga (202-565-9370) in the Standards Service (187C).
6 December 1995
FM-187C-DA47
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