The Applied Technology Council: An Historical Perspective

Abstract eng:
Since its incorporation in 1973, the Applied Technology Council (ATC) has evolved into a major player in the United States for the advancement of engineering applications and resources for mitigating the effects of natural and man-made hazards on the built environment. The impetus for the organization’s founding was the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, which demonstrated the need for rapid improvement in seismic design standards and hazard mitigation strategies. Over the last three decades, ATC projects and resulting reports have effectively defined the technical basis for earthquake engineering practice in the United States for both buildings and bridges. Widely accepted and used by the profession, these publications address (1) seismic design of new buildings and bridges; (2) rapid screening of buildings for potential seismic hazards; (3) detailed seismic evaluation of buildings; (4) seismic upgrade (rehabilitation/retrofit) of buildings; (5) earthquake damage prediction for buildings and bridges (and other structures); (6) safety evaluation of buildings after earthquakes; and (7) detailed evaluation and repair of earthquake damaged buildings. The reasons for ATC’s success in defining earthquake engineering practice in the United States relate to a variety of factors, including the process by which the documents are developed; the funding made available by government agencies and other sources; the availability of technically qualified specialists; strict quality control measures; and careful editing and attention to report format and content attributes that make the reports easy to use and follow by intended users. Projects now underway will have significant effects on future earthquake engineering practice.

• Export as: BibTeX | MARC | MARCXML | DC | EndNote | NLM | RefWorks
• Add to your basket