Structural (Engineering) Options for Mitigation

Mitigating or lowering risk to hazards is of primary importance to individuals, communities, and nations in terms of lowering costs and saving lives, especially as the number and impact of hazards continues to increase. Structural hazard mitigation techniques are physical, or “hard” measures added, incorporated, or engineered into new and existing structures in order to fundamentally strengthen and improve the capacity and integrity of structures facing natural and technological hazards.

These techniques seek to mitigate risks and vulnerability through a broad range of measures; are used across many scales, including both public and private sectors; and can be disaster specific or generalized. For example, climate change mitigation structures includes the incorporation of elements that lower a building's greenhouse gas emissions indirectly, whereas roof tie-downs can directly ...