This community handbook will increase awareness of seismic risk & includes up-to-date information on seismic design & construction practices. It is designed to provide interested individuals across the nation with information that will assist them in assessing the seismic risk to their buildings & their community & in determining what might be done to mitigate that risk -- whether on an individual basis or through community building regulatory action. Contents: when happens to structures when the ground moves? decisions, decisions! how can I make my community act? codes & standards. etc. Illustrated.

Provides architects designing buildings in seismic risk areas with the information needed to effectively utilize the National earthquake Hazards Reduction program (NEHRP) Recommended Provisions. Rigorously updated, this manual includes the best & most current technological information for reducing safety hazards. Chapter topics include: fundamentals, structural analysis, structural steel, reinforced concrete, timber & masonry, & nonstructural elements. List of symbols. Metric unit conversion tables. Graphs & charts.

Acquaints users with typical problems unrelated to design and construction processes that might arise when planning or engaging in seismic rehab. projects and programs. Alerts readers to the difficulties inherent in implementing seismic rehab. recommendations. Emphasizes 2 basic user-oriented concepts. The first is a process that outlines a set of decision points so the user can determine whether seismic rehab. efforts are needed &, if so, their potential scope. The 2nd offers a simple "escalation ladder" to help users understand the degree of conflict inherent in and the implications of choosing what, if any, seismic rehab. strategies to follow.

Intended for the reader concerned about seismic safety in buildings but without a professional background in design or construction. Provides a relatively nontechnical introduction to the building guidelines set forth in the 1994 Provisions by providing information on the nature of ground motion generated by an earthquake; how buildings are affected by ground motion; what techniques are used to design against earthquake forces; and how the Provisions translates this information into simple, uniform, and realistic criteria and requirements to be followed by designers and builders. Maps, charts and tables.