by Brianna Crandall — December 4, 2019 — iMod Structures (IMS), makers of “future-proof” modular classrooms, recently announced that the company’s high-performance buildings have received the US Resiliency Council’s (USRC) Platinum Earthquake Rating, making them the first educational facilities in the country to achieve USRC’s highest resiliency status, says the company.
The USRC created its Earthquake Building Rating System to provide building owners and facilities managers (FMs) at schools, hospitals, businesses and other organizations with a reliable, consistent, scientific-based system for gauging a building’s expected performance during an earthquake, including how soon a building will return to full operations after a seismic event. This first-of-its kind performance rating is based on decades of earthquake engineering research and observations of earthquake damage by leading engineering practitioners and seismic experts at major universities and government organizations, notes iMod Structures.
Based on the USRC’s review of the structural design, iMod Structures’ single-story moment-frame buildings were given a Platinum rating across all geographic regions of California, the most seismic-active state in the US. The company’s two-story classrooms received a Platinum rating in approximately 95% of the state, and a Gold Rating in the remaining 5%.
Craig Severance, co-founder of iMod Structures, remarked:
There is no question of whether or not there will be another major earthquake in California. The only questions are when, where and how big? Given that inevitability, schools and universities need to ask themselves whether they have adequately factored resiliency into their facility plans. Optimally, they’ll work to ensure their buildings are USRC Platinum rated. We are thrilled that iMod Structures is leading the way in this initiative and not only actively advocating for safer schools for our state’s students, teachers and administrators but also for resilient classrooms that can return shortly to full operations after a major seismic event. Why allow an earthquake to interrupt our children’s education?”
Severance continued:
Yes, in California earthquakes are inevitable, but disasters are not. We can prevent the next big one from turning into a disaster by making sure our buildings can recover quickly when it strikes. This is the essence of resilience — the ability to limit damage and recover quickly from major negative events.
In a comprehensive study by researchers at the United States Geologic Survey, scientists have determined that the chance of having one or more magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquakes in California over the next 20 years is greater than 99%.Though it’s impossible to predict the exact timing or magnitude of an earthquake, researchers encourage residents and local officials throughout California to prepare now and retrofit structures to withstand seismic force before the next significant quake strikes.
Evan Reis, executive director and co-founder, USRC, who is participating in the National Disaster Resilience Conference this week in Clearwater, FL, commented:
We applaud iMod Structures for joining us in highlighting the need for resilient buildings and classrooms that will withstand the most severe seismic events while keeping their occupants safe. Modern building codes are designed to ensure that in a natural disaster buildings are safe and people can get out. But in typical cities, including San Francisco, around 90% of existing buildings, including many schools, were not built to modern codes. USRC is working with iMod Structures to ensure that 21st century California classrooms are not just built to code, but also are resilient!
IMS says it is shifting the way the world designs, builds and delivers high performance classrooms. Flexibility to accommodate changing technologies and a transportable moment-frame structural system are the backbone for iMod Structure’s high-performance buildings. IMS says it now builds the only “future-proof” classrooms that are relocatable, reconfigurable, resilient, sustainable and long lasting. These steel-frame classrooms have been awarded Pre-Check approval by the California Division of the State Architect (DSA).
Available in single- and two-story configurations, these classrooms are prefabricated in the iMod factory in Vallejo, California, an hour north of San Francisco. As needed, a second story can be added to an existing IMS building in the future, conserving open space on a campus. As student populations ebb and flow, the second story can be removed and relocated to become the first story of a new classroom somewhere else.
Each classroom is delivered to schools fully assembled, ready for utility hook up and occupancy within days. Standard classrooms are delivered within six months of a school entering into a contract with IMS.
To find out more about IMS’s “future-proof” classrooms, visit the company’s website.
