Seismic Retrofit Guidelines, 2nd Edition Recognized With Champions of Earthquake Resilience Award

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - December 11, 2015) - The Seismic Retrofit Guidelines, 2^nd Edition are being honoured with a Champions of Earthquake Resilience Award in the category of "Extraordinary Innovation in Seismic Protection of Buildings" from the Applied Technology Council (ATC) and Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers on December 11, 2015.

APEGBC, along with the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the BC Ministry of Education showcased an unprecedented collaboration to produce innovative, performance-based technical guidelines for seismic risk assessment and seismic retrofit design of BC school buildings.

"The Seismic Retrofit Guidelines are an excellent example of APEGBC members delivering real world solutions to meet the challenges of the 21^st century, while ensuring safety and protection of the public," said Dr. Michael Wrinch, P.Eng., FEC, President of APEGBC. "We are proud to be a part of the project team."

The Seismic Retrofit Guidelines allow users to effectively and consistently determine the seismic risk of an existing building, and optimize the extent of new structural components required to achieve a life-safety seismic performance. This ground breaking work has benefited from the input and participation of prominent US structural engineers and was previously recognized by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada with the Engineering a Better Canada Award. The methodology is also being utilized by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"The safety of students is a top priority for government and we are proud to have collaborated on these guidelines with the professionals from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC," said Honourable Mike Bernier, Minister of Education.

The award will be presented by ATC and SEI at the Champions of Earthquake Resilience Awards Gala in San Francisco. The awards recognize innovative earthquake engineering programs and projects that have substantial impact on public safety and property loss reduction.

Founded in 1920, APEGBC is the regulatory and licensing body for the professions of engineering and geoscience and is charged with protecting the public interest. With over 33,000 members, APEGBC is one of the largest professional associations in BC and maintains high academic, experience and professional practice standards.