The threat of a natural disaster presents a unique set of worries for the parents of school-age children. If an earthquake, tornado, flood or windstorm strikes during school hours would their children be safe? Would the teachers and other adults… Read More
Recent Updates
Air-quality implications of widespread adoption of cool roofs on ozone and particulate matter in southern California
The South Coast Air Basin of California, a region of 16.8 million people, is among the most polluted air basins in the United States. A multidecadal effort to attain federal air-quality standards has led to significant progress, but much more… Read More
Definition of Resilience for Healthcare Facilities
Architects and building owners are focusing on building resilience into the fabric of a structure to mitigate the impact of future devastating weather events. And the roof is getting new attention as an important component of a truly resilient structure…. Read More
Resilience Recommended to Trump Administration
The prestigious National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), empowered by Congress to identify ways to strengthen the built environment, has issued a series of recommendations to the Trump Administration, and resilience is at the top of their agenda. For the… Read More
FEMA GUIDE ON SCHOOL SAFETY: SAFER, STRONGER, SMARTER
This FEMA Guide provides up-to-date, authoritative information that schools can use to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing natural hazards and upgrading the resilience of school buildings. It is intended to be used by administrators, facilities managers, emergency managers, emergency planning committees,… Read More
RICOWI Study Finds EPDM Offers Superior Protection Against Hail
For the past decade, ERA has disseminated science-based information about the superior protection that EPDM membranes offer against hail damage. In 2007, ERA commissioned independent laboratory testing comparing many types of roofing materials and their resistance to hail up to… Read More
Exploring Resilient Building Design; Past experience with disasters inform current design decisions
Learning Objectives – After this course, you should be able to: Identify and recognize the basic principles and terms associated with resilient building design and disaster mitigation. Assess a variety of methods to protect a building from flooding events. Explain… Read More
Congressional Briefings on Infrastructure
Congressional briefings to focus on Building a Secure and Resilient National Infrastructure The Washington based Environmental and Energy Study Institute will be hosting a series of five briefings for Congress in Washington DC over the next four months. State/Federal Emergency… Read More
Resiliency in Construction
Link: www.buildingenclosureonline.com/articles/86679-resiliency-in-construction Introduction There’s been intensifying discussion recently about the resiliency of the buildings where we work and live, how we can improve their odds at surviving natural disasters and ensure that they can rebound quickly to be fully functioning…. Read More
Task Force on Resiliency
The time has come to “spring forward” as we set our clocks ahead one hour, an event that marks the unofficial end of winter and the beginning of spring. And even though spring doesn’t officially begin until March 20, many… Read More

