Applied Technology Council A Nonprofit Corporation Advancing Engineering Applications for Hazard Mitigation California - Washington, DC Area

NEWS RELEASE April 30, 1996

For More Information, Contact: Patty Christofferson, 415/595-1542 E-mail: atc@atcouncil.org

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL PUBLISHES TRAINING MANUAL FOR
RAPID VISUAL SCREENING OF BUILDINGS FOR POTENTIAL SEISMIC HAZARDS

Applied Technology Council (ATC) is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the ATC-21-T Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards Training Manual. The manual has been developed to facilitate the training of individuals who desire to apply the procedures described in the ATC-21 report, Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards, A Handbook. The Handbook, originally published by ATC in 1988, provides a standard rapid visual screening procedure intended to identify those buildings that might pose potentially serious risk of loss of life and injury, or of severe curtailment of community services, in case of a damaging earthquake. Buildings identified as potentially hazardous by this procedure would require further evaluation by a professional engineer to confirm if, in fact, the buildings are hazardous. Both the ATC-21-T Training Manual and the previously completed ATC-21 Handbook (FEMA Report 154) were developed with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The newly published ATC-21-T Training Manual, bound in a 3-ring binder, consists of 120 slides of photographs, schematic drawings and textual information, and a companion 120-page training presentation narrative coordinated with the slides. The narrative can be read verbatim by the trainer (for a 2-hour presentation), or can be used as notes to cue the trainer in a less formal presentation. Topics covered include:

• Overview of the ATC-21 Rapid Visual Screening Procedure;
• Trainer qualifications, trainee qualifications, and instructions to trainer;
• Earthquake behavior of buildings, building types, and typical damage;
• Structural Hazard Scores and Performance Modification Factors;
• Preparatory steps necessary before implementing the procedure;
• Visual inspection in the field and completion of the field data form; and
• Example applications

The slides would also be of general use to individuals who are called on to educate the public and other professionals about the earthquake performance characteristics of buildings.

Copies of the ATC-21-T Training Manual are available from the Applied Technology Council, 555 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 550, Redwood City, California 94065 (Phone: (415) 595-1542, Fax: (415) 593-2320, E-mail: atc@atcouncil.org. Price: $160.00 per copy (within California, please add applicable local sales tax; for destinations outside of the United States, actual shipping charges apply. Contact ATC office for quote).

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