In the wake of this summer’s massive earthquakes in California and years of increasingly intense hurricane activity, wildfires, flooding and other natural events, building and design professionals have taken a greater interest in the concept of resiliency. Natural disasters cost the U.S. $91 billion in 2018, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a sign that a growing number of extreme weather events are having a significant economic impact.
What can the construction industry do to mitigate the risks associated with extreme events? A recent report from the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) revealed an 11-to-1 payback for pre-disaster investments that include compliance with the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2018 International Building Code (IBC) versus the prior generation of codes and requirements.