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PAST ACTIVITY

Activities have been completed and are underway on proof of concept tests and the development of the data base. The actions have included tests of small scale models on a shake table and the identification of full size tests of existing housing types felt to be in some jeopardy. The NAPA experience has high lighted houses with characteristics that are particularly vulnerable to major damage.

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

The project involves a number of different disciplines, personel and companies with varied capabilities and technology. These potential stakeholders are currently being contacted to determine their interest in participating in the project as suppliers of equipment, computer access, or expertise. They include:

Data acquisition personnel with newer technologies such as Google Glasses and Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software.

Home Inspectors for data acquisition and modeling of standard structures considered for analysis and design of standard retrofits.

Modeling 3D arcitectural software and an auditing program to audit and insure that the input is complete and accurate.

Cloud Source Data Base. It is the goal to allow computer access in the cloud to allow interested parties to input model information.

Engineering. Technical review and design support will be provided by the structural engineering community.

Retrofitting will need to be completed by qualified companies that are using proper retrofitting tecniques.

GOAL # 1 -RETROFIT HOUSES FOR POOR PEOPLE

The first houses that will be retrofitted are houses owned by people with limited resources. These are selected, not out of any sense of pity, or misguided altruism, but because these houses are usually simple structures with similar characteristics that can be easily replicated and retrofitted based on pre-engineered design. In addition, these houses are more likely to produce the greatest increase in Resiliency, which is the primary goal of this project. People of limited resources are the most likely to remain homeless for longer periods after a major earthquake.

If you have any suggestions, or interest in the launch of this project to develop a National Safe House Registry, please:

We will be looking for help from those with financial assets or technical and support capabilities to join us in an attempt to meet the goals of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) at the residential housing level.

THE NEXT STEP

The next step in the process is to identify and select houses that are similar in design that can be analysed for their ability to be scaled up or down to provide a larger group of houses that can be retrofitted without requiring engineering on each house. The cost of engineering is currently absorbing a significant portion of the dollars available for retrofitting and in many cases is the largest stumbling block towards making a decision to complete the needed work. This approach has been tried in the past with Plan Set A and has resulted in many homes being retrofitted. Plan Set FEMA has just been published and will add to the number of houses being retrofitted. The approach of this project is an extension of these valuable assets. If you are intested in participating in a technical review capacity, or as an active participant, or just as an interested party, please indicate your interest on the website. As the structure of the project becomes better identified and all participants have been identified and have provided their approval of the technological issues and the limits on the use of their ideas, patents and technology, we will continue to update this web site to keep all interested parties informed.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

THE PROJECT IS ALSO CURRENTLY SEEKING FIRST ROUND FINANCING FOR THE PURCHASE OF SOFTWARE, HARDWARE AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT INTO AN INTEGRAL PACKAGE THAT WILL PRODUCE THE DESIRED OUTCOME. SIX HOUSE TYPES WILL BE SELECTED AND IT IS OUR INTENTION THAT THEY BE ANALYSED AND RETROFITTED FIRST.

EDUCATION OF PEOPLE ON THE NEED FOR ACTION