Advancing Resilience Through Modern Building Codes

Communities face growing challenges ranging from climate change impacts to aging infrastructure to outdated building practices. Resilience is the ability to prepare for anticipated hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions. By emphasizing greater use of modern building codes to strengthen resilience, communities can better face these challenges and avoid seeing future hazard events become natural disasters.

Modern building codes play a key role in disaster resilience. They set the baseline for the safe design and construction of buildings to withstand natural hazards, including the impacts of climate change. In addition to code considerations, other factors spanning social, economic, and environmental domains influence building design and construction. To advance strong building codes and maximize their value in fostering more resilient communities, we need interdisciplinary approaches that include cross-sector collaboration.

Designing to the modern International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) in the U.S. has resulted in $11 saved for every $1 invested. Communities that have adopted modern building codes are already saving an estimated $1.6 billion a year in avoided damage from major hazards, with projected cumulative savings of $132 billion through 2040, a figure that will continue to grow if more communities adopt them. However, only 26% of tracked communities have adopted the latest hazard-resistant building codes.

The US Federal Government Collaboration to Advance Building Codes

In June 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration launched the National Initiative to Advance Building Codes (NIABC) to promote sustainable changes for protecting communities regardless of social, economic or regional challenges. Led by the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG), NIABC will help state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments adopt the latest building codes and standards, enabling communities to be more resilient to hurricanes, flooding, wildfires and other extreme weather events that are intensifying due to climate change.

The NIABC also promotes federal collaboration and coordination by encouraging federal agencies to lead by example. Through NIABC, agencies will develop federal building performance standardsto help achieve net-zero emissions across new and existing federal buildings by 2045 and provide incentives and support for communities to adopt building codes and standards. Federal partners are also sharing strategies and lessons learned through the MitFLG as they comprehensively review the federal funding and financing of building construction to promote resilience.

As part of NIABC implementation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will build on its first-ever FEMA Building Codes Strategy developed to address gaps linked to the lack of modern building codes adoption. The Strategy considers equity priorities to address the needs of underserved and vulnerable communities and provides a roadmap to unify FEMA policies, programs and messaging. FEMA has been collaborating with partners such as the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) to receive input on advancing building codes and developing innovative approaches to work with communities at risk. FEMA has also engaged with other federal agencies to share lessons learned as it advances the implementation of its Building Codes Strategy. 

Modernized Building Codes Through Disaster Support

In late October of 2018, Super Typhoon Yutu landed on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), resulting in thousands of homes destroyed and tens of thousands of impacted residents. Through the Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) Program, FEMA deployed teams to conduct field investigations at the disaster sites. The teams worked closely with local and state officials to develop recommendations for improvements in building design and construction, including those concerning code development and enforcement, and mitigation activities that will lead to greater resistance to hazard events.

According to MAT findings, one of the most effective ways to safeguard the CNMI against natural hazards is to adopt and enforce the latest hazard-resistant building codes and referenced standards. Modern building codes address many concerns, including public health, safety and resiliency. As the CNMI recovers from Super Typhoon Yutu, the rebuilding of damaged and vulnerable buildings in accordance with the latest adopted building codes can contribute to long-term resilience.

Federal Funding to Advance Resilience Through Building Codes

As part of the Strategic Alliance for Risk Reduction II (STARR II) joint venture, our AtkinsRéalis team supported FEMA with the development of its first Building Codes Strategy and is providing technical and advisory support for national building codes efforts. We are providing advisory services on building science practices and hazard-resistant codes and standards. We are also advising on National Flood Insurance Program requirements, including the modeling and mapping of flood hazard risk, resilience practices, adaptation strategies and national policies related to equity and climate change. We collect actionable climate data to inform land use planning, infrastructure upgrades and building codes to support sustainable and resilient communities. We have expertise in supporting MAT teams to conduct field investigations at disaster sites to understand building performance, causes of building failures and successes, along with providing recommendations for rebuilding. These efforts support community development through long-term strategies to reduce future damage and impacts from storms. 

As the impacts of climate change accelerate, rapidly assessing and integrating the economic benefit of building resiliently is crucial. Continually building federal capacity to work with SLTT governments and leveraging existing funding opportunities to strengthen community resilience is necessary. National policy shifts, including funding opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), will advance community resilience through modern building codes. The IIJA legislation includes around $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s roads and bridges, water infrastructure, resilience and more, and the IRA has allocated $370 billion towards combating climate change by decarbonizing the energy sector and prioritizing reaching a net-zero carbon goal.

Existing federal assistance programs that align with the NIABC and have benefitted from either the IIJA or IRA funding to advance equitable disaster recovery and build climate resilience include:

• Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities ($2.295B, FEMA)
• Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation Program ($225M, Department of Energy & $1B, United States Department of Agriculture)
• Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery ($5B, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)

These efforts will build SLTT capacity to leverage hazard mitigation planning processes to identify enhancements to land use ordinances, as well as modern building codes adoption, application and enforcement for long-term community resilience.

As we continue to be a leader in supporting the development of sustainable cities, our expertise in engaging federal programs and funding, coupled with our capabilities in developing clear strategies that apply the benefits of highly efficient buildings and net-zero targets, will serve as the framework to continue to provide clients with the tools to build community resilience.