Risk Based Seismic Evaluation of Pre-1973 Hospital Buildings Using the HAZUS Methodology

Seismic evaluation of Pre 1973 hospital buildings using conventional procedures outlined in the SB-1953 regulations resulted in over 90% of these buildings not meeting the minimum life safety standard as specified in the regulations, and hence being classified as SPC-1. These buildings are considered at risk of collapse in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster and are required to be retrofitted, replaced or removed from providing acute care services by 2013. The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) began a search for an alternate solution which possibly reclassifies some of these hospital buildings to a higher structure performance category based on seismic risk. HAZUS which stands for Hazards United States, a general all purpose software available through FEMA for estimating damage, and losses to buildings and communities through a variety of natural disasters including floods, earthquakes, and wind was selected to achieve this goal. SPC-1 buildings being reclassified to SPC-2 if they met specified criteria using this new risk based analysis procedure would results in hospital buildings originally licensed to provide acute care services to the 2008/2013 seismic deadline to a 2030 deadline.