New tool calculates benefits of building hazard-resistant structures

Wednesday, December 21, 2016 - 17:21 in Earth & Climate

Hazard-induced maintenance costs can be significant over the lifetime of a building. Researchers at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) are developing new methods to calculate the benefits of investing in more hazard-resistant structures. Jeremy Gregory, executive director of the CSHub recently presented one metric, the CSHub’s Break-Even Hazard Mitigation Percentage (BEMP), to officials in Florida and Georgia — states that can see millions in property damage due to hurricanes.  “The BEMP evaluates the cost-effectiveness of mitigation features for a building in a particular location by factoring in the expected damage a conventional building designed to code would endure over its lifetime, and comparing it to a more resilient, enhanced building design,” says Gregory. “In areas prone to natural disasters, more spending on mitigation is justified — the BEMP helps to identify how much extra spending is recommended.” The southeastern United States was hit hard by weather patterns resulting from Hurricane Matthew...

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