In the rush to recover from Hurricane Harvey, those of us along the Texas Gulf Coast are focused on repair and getting back to normal. However, we should take this opportunity of renewal to spend time to assess and prepare for future disasters. Whether repairing or building new, every project should use the many tools available to assess current and future risks and take steps to make our buildings more resistant to future shocks.<\/p>\n
Resiliency has become the popular focus of sustainability recently in response to climate change accelerating, meteorological events becoming more severe and sea levels rising. Several recent initiatives have responded to this urgency of resilient design. The US Government issued Executive Order 13653: Preparing the U.S. for the Impacts of Climate Change that dictates all federal departments must develop plans for climate adaptation. The Department of Defense has quickly adopted the guidelines as the military often operates in areas with extreme climates and limited resources. The Rockefeller Foundation\u2019s 100 Resilient Cities Initiative is placing Resiliency Officers in 100 cities throughout the world to deal with minimizing these impacts.<\/p>\n
LEED introduced three new pilot credits in 2016 to address the need for lessening the impact of disasters on buildings. The pilot credits were developed in accordance with the Resilient Design Principles from the Resilient Design Institute. One overarching theme is that \u201cdiverse and redundant distributed systems are the most resilient\u201d. A breakdown in one can be compensated for by another.
\nThe pilot credits are currently being updated by USGBC and are not available online nor as a credit on a LEED project. But the process and tools are valuable resources for any project. I have summarized them here and list every tool used to inform the pilot credits in the links following the article.<\/p>\n
IPpc98 Assessment & Planning for Resilience<\/p>\n
The intent of this credit is to proactively plan for the impacts of disasters as well as long-term effects such as climate change. The first step is to assess the current risks to the project site using the assessment tools and the Assessment and Planning Workbook (link below). These can also include man-made threats such as terrorism, but the credit lists flooding (LEED uses the 500-year flood plain as a metric), hurricanes, tornados\/high winds, earthquake, tsunami, drought, wildfire and landslides.
\nAfter identifying the top three current hazards for the project site, you must achieve one of the two following options:<\/p>\n
Climate resistance planning is assessing the future vulnerabilities of the region to climate change regarding sea level rises, increased flooding, temperature and precipitation intensity. They encourage the use of local or regional studies if available. Also, use of the NOAA\u2019s U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit is recommended.<\/p>\n
Emergency preparedness planning is evaluating the project\u2019s emergency preparedness using the Red Cross 123 Assessment Forms and prepare a facility description form identifying those features of the building.<\/p>\n
IPCpc99 Design for Enhanced Resilience<\/p>\n
The intent of this credit is to create buildings that can resist the top three identified hazards in the risk assessment. This pilot credit offer options for almost all hazards. Option 1 is to implement mitigation strategies for each hazard-specific risk. For example, to address flooding, teams would follow ASCE 24-14 Flood Resistant Design provisions, place the lowest occupied floor five feet above FEMA Base Flood Elevation, follow FEMA 55 for MEP systems, foundations meet Coastal Zone V and sewer connections include backflow preventers. Earthquakes need to achieve a silver rating using the ARUP REDI rating system. Droughts need to reduce water use per LEED\u2019s Water Use Reduction for Outdoor AND Indoor Water Use credits by at least 60%. Option 2 is to follow the FORTIFIED for Safer Business design criteria for the specific risks. This credit is a tremendous resource with numerous reference standards.<\/p>\n
IPCpc100 Passive Survivability and Functionality During Emergencies
\nYour building has survived the initial hazard. This credit now ensures that the building \u201cwill maintain reasonable functionality in the event of an extended power outage or loss of heating fuel\u201d. Functionality includes thermal comfort, access to potable water, and back-up power. The building should provide two of these three options. Habitable zones can be created that will serve the entire building population so the entire building does not have to meet these requirements.<\/p>\n
Thermal resilience is a \u201clivable temperature\u201d for seven days in the typical extreme peak week of cooling and heating. Livable is by no means comfortable. For cooling in non-residential buildings, this would mean not exceeding 18 degrees F SET-days above 86 degrees F SET. Strategies to maintain this livability include natural ventilation (one of the issues that made New Orleans hospitals unlivable after Katrina), high-performance glazing systems, passive solar design, SHGC reduction and reflective roofs.<\/p>\n
Back-up power is providing power for fuel-fired heating, fans, water pumps, lighting of 3 fc throughout the building with 30 fc every 500 sf, minimal plug loads, online access, and one elevator. Acceptable power sources are a generator with 72 hours of fuel (piped natural gas does not count), a solar system with 72 hours of battery storage, or a micro-grid.<\/p>\n
Access to potable water requirements differ in municipal and rural locations. Access can be limited to water access only on lower floors. Pumps require back-up power or in-building storage of 2 gal per occupant per day.<\/p>\n
Strategies from these pilot credits would be wise to consider in all buildings, considering so many of ours are built in vulnerable locations. What can we do to increase the likelihood that our buildings can serve the communities in their time of greatest need, whether that is directly assisting those in peril or accelerating a return to \u201cnormalcy\u201d?<\/p>\n
Resiliency Planning<\/strong> Assessment and Planning for Resilience<\/strong> Hazard Assessments:<\/strong> Houston Region Hurricane Evacuation Zones:\u00a0http:\/\/www.h-gac.com\/taq\/hurricane\/documents\/2017-zip-zone-map.pdf<\/a>\u00a0 Not part of the pilot credits, but vital information for our region.<\/p>\n Climate Resilience Planning: Vulnerabilities associated with climate change:<\/strong> Design for Enhanced Resilience<\/strong> Flooding: Tornado\/Hurricane: These resources vary on building type and wind zone. Refer to LEED Pilot Credit Design for Enhanced Resilience for guidance. Earthquake: ARUP REDi Rating System: Earthquake Design: http:\/\/publications.arup.com\/publications\/r\/redi_rating_system<\/a><\/p>\n Tsunami: Wildfire: Drought: reduce both landscape and indoor (flush and flow fixtures) water use by 60%.<\/p>\n Landslides: Involve geotechnical engineers for all slopes greater that 15% of 6.75 degrees.<\/p>\n PASSIVE SURVIVABILITY AND FUNCTIONAILITY DURING EMERGENCIES<\/strong>
\nLEED Pilot Credit 98: Assess & Plan not available now<\/a>
\nLEED Pilot Credit 99: Design not available now<\/a>
\nLEED Pilot Credit 100: Survivability not available now<\/a>
\nRockefeller 100 Resilient Cities: 100<\/a>
\nBuilding Green Resiliency Issues: Subscription access only<\/a>
\nResilient Design Principles: RDI<\/a>
\nRed Cross Ready Rating: Ready<\/a>
\nExecutive Order 13653: 13653<\/a>
\nDOD Sustainability: Plans<\/a><\/p>\n
\nUse the resources below to fill out the Assessment and Planning Workbook<\/a><\/p>\n
\nUS Climate Resilience Toolkit: Toolkit<\/a>
\nFlooding Risk: https:\/\/msc.fema.gov\/portal\/search<\/a> \u00a0 Many areas of Houston are in the FEMA flood plain, especially along bayous.
\nHurricane Risk: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/pdf\/library\/ism2_s1.pdf <\/a>(page 6) \u00a0 Most of the Houston area is susceptible to Hurricane damage
\nTornado Risk: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/pdf\/library\/ism2_s1.pdf <\/a>(page 1)\u00a0 The Houston area is in Wind Zone III
\nhttps:\/\/www.ncdc.noaa.gov\/climate-information\/extreme-events\/us-tornado-climatology<\/a>
\nEarthquake Risk: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/earthquake-hazard-maps<\/a> \u00a0 Houston has no risk of earthquakes
\nhttps:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov\/hazards\/hazmaps\/<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.fema.gov\/media-library\/assets\/documents\/15212 <\/a>(for existing buildings)
\nTsunami: https:\/\/pnsn.org\/outreach\/hazard-maps-and-scenarios\/eq-hazard-maps\/tsunami<\/a> \u00a0 These maps only cover the pacific Northwest
\nWildfire: https:\/\/community.fema.gov\/hazard\/wildfire-en_us\/be-smart?lang=es<\/a> \u00a0 The Houston area has moderate wildfire risk.
\nhttps:\/\/wildfire.cr.usgs.gov\/firehistory\/viewer\/viewer.htm<\/a>
\nDrought: https:\/\/www.ncdc.noaa.gov\/temp-and-precip\/drought\/historical-palmers\/<\/a>\u00a0 This is an adjustable time-lapse map showing drought conditions back to 1900. Houston is susceptible to droughts.
\nLandslides: https:\/\/landslides.usgs.gov\/hazards\/nationalmap\/<\/a>\u00a0 Houston has low risk of landslides<\/p>\n
\nSea Level Rise and Storm Surge: https:\/\/coast.noaa.gov\/digitalcoast\/tools\/slr<\/a>
\nRiver Flooding Projections:\u00a0https:\/\/water.weather.gov\/ahps\/long_range.php<\/a>
\nWinter Storms: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/media-library\/assets\/documents\/98059<\/a>
\nTemperature, Precipitation Changes and Storm Intensity: https:\/\/epa.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=3805293158d54846a29f750d63c6890e<\/a> (U.S.)
\nhttp:\/\/www.energy.soton.ac.uk\/ccworldweathergen\/<\/a> (Worldwide)<\/p>\n
\nMultiple Risks: FORTIFIED for Safer Business Guidelines for resilient commercial properties: https:\/\/disastersafety.org\/fortified\/safer-business\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\nACSE Flood Resistant Design (2014) Code must be purchased. Highlights here: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/media-library\/assets\/documents\/14983<\/a>
\nExecutive Order 13690 Federal Flood Risk Management https:\/\/www.gpo.gov\/fdsys\/pkg\/FR-2015-02-04\/pdf\/2015-02379.pdf<\/a>
\nFEMA 55 Coastal Construction Manual: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/media-library\/assets\/documents\/3293<\/a><\/p>\n
\nASCE\/SEI 7-10. All structures in wind zones II, III, IV: publications<\/a>
\nFEMA P-361 Safe Rooms. Public use and multifamily in wind zones III or IV: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/media-library\/assets\/documents\/3140<\/a>
\nFEMA P-431 Safe Refuge. Non-community use in wind zones III or IV: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/media-library\/assets\/documents\/2246<\/a><\/p>\n
\nNational Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program: http:\/\/nws.weather.gov\/nthmp\/documents\/designingfortsunamis.pdf<\/a>
\nFEMA P-646 Vertical Evacuation from Tsunamis: https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/media-library\/assets\/documents\/14708<\/a><\/p>\n
\nICC International Wildland Urban Interface Code: https:\/\/up.codes\/viewer\/general\/int_wuic_2015<\/a>
\n2013 NFPA 1144: http:\/\/www.nfpa.org\/codes-and-standards\/all-codes-and-standards\/list-of-codes-and-standards\/detail?code=1144<\/a><\/p>\n
\nRefer to LEED Pilot Credit for specific details.
\nThermal Resilience modeling guidance: http:\/\/www.resilientdesign.org\/putting-thermal-resilience-in-the-leed-pilot-credits-to-the-test\/<\/a><\/p>\nShare this:<\/h3>