Test Descriptions & Availability
For property underwriters and agents who are looking to increase accuracy, productivity and overall speed of operations, the RiskMeter Online is an Internet application used to automate property risk reports. By simply typing in an address, underwriters and agents can get back natural hazard information for a given policy location. The RiskMeter can perform more than 30 different lookups, including distance to coast, rating territory, flood zone, windpool eligibility, proximity to brush and EQ hazards. Unlike conventional paper-based lookups, the RiskMeter Online provides underwriters and agents with accurate, efficient and defendable positions up to 90% faster than existing methodologies. To learn more about our reports, please click on the links below.
This report shows the distance to the coast. This can be tailored to meet your needs in 2 ways: 1) The shoreline can be customized to meet your underwriting requirements. This means the coastline can be edited to remove insignificant water. 2) You can determine what distances you want to check (Ex. 100ft, 500ft, 1000ft, 2500ft, 1 mile, etc. or 1/10th of a mile up to 10 miles). Speak to CDS about implementing these items.
Fields: Description, Index and Within.
Description: This is a text statement describing the distance to the nearest shoreline (ex: Within 1 mile to shore).
Index: When setting up an account, CDS can set the distances to check: (i.e. ½ mile, 1 mile, 2 mile, etc). This number tells how many distances it has checked.
* Note - Generally companies set a maximum distance that they are interested in checking (i.e. once you’re more than 10 miles inland, its not considered a coastal risk). We include the message “Outside of risk zone,” if the property is not within a meaningful distance of the risk.
Within: This states how far the property is from the shoreline according to the distance measure selected during the setup of the account. This is the actual distance checked.
Availability: All coastal States (Atlantic, Pacific and the
Special Features/Options:
A custom shoreline can be developed for your account so that only water that your company considers coastal will be used. You can determine how far to go up rivers/inlets, whether to consider the Intra Coastal Waterway coastal, etc. Contact your CDS representative for details.
These are custom rating
territories that are defined by each insurance company. We can convert all of
your paper definitions into digital maps.
This will allow you to accurately determine the rating territory for any
address, whether your territories are built by ZIP Code, cities and towns, or
defined by roads or rivers. This works
using street-level mapping technology for unparalleled accuracy. Contact CDS about adding your rating
territories. Generally, companies
provide CDS with paper definitions, and CDS creates a digital copy of the
rating territories, accurate down to the street level.
Fields: Description and Zone. Custom fields can be added, too.
Description: This is a physical description of the zone that makes up the territory.
Zone: This is the code that identifies the territory.
Availability: Entire US, if
set up for individual company (Call CDS to have your territories set up).
This report shows whether or not the address entered falls into a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA – The 100-year flood plain, or 1% probability of flooding each year), as well as the Flood Zone. The FEMA source data has been updated and significantly enhanced by First American Flood Data Services. First American has checked and Quality Checked (QC’d) 100% of the panel information. In addition, they continually update this information, and it is downloaded into the Risk Meter Online monthly. This is an excellent screening tool if your concerned with properties falling within flood-prone areas.
Fields: SFHA, Within 250 Feet, Community Number, Community Name, Zone, Panel, Panel_dte, FIPS Code and Census Tract
SFHA: Special Flood Hazard Zone – This is the 100 year floodplain. This is generally what people refer to as being “In a Flood Zone.” Returns In or Out, telling whether or not the property falls within the SFHA zone.
Within 250: If the property is within 250’ of the SFHA boundary, it tells you. Because of minor sources of error, if the property is outside a flood zone, but within 250’ of one, this method is not accurate enough to make a definitive determination. A property site visit or certification by a flood service should be used to make an absolute determination.
Community Number : A 6-digit standardized community code defined by FEMA.
Community Name: Name of the community
Zone: The type of flood zone as specified by FEMA.
Panel: The panel number of the paper map associated with this flood zone area.
Panel_dte: The panel date. This is the date that the map was produced and/or last updated, whichever is newer. Formatted as (month, day, year).
COBRA: Coastal Barriers Resource Act of 1982 removed federal government support for building and development in undeveloped portions of hazardous coastal areas. Returns In or Out, telling you whether or not the property falls into a COBRA zone.
FIPS Code: The FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) standardized county code.
Census Tract: Census tracts are small, relatively permanent
statistical subdivisions of a county or statistically equivalent entity delineated
by local participants as part of the U.S. Census Bureau’s participant
statistical areas program. (
Availability:
Entire US, where available. FEMA
does not provide maps for every community in the
Special Features/Options:
As an option, CDS can also tell you the distance to high risk zones, such as A Zones. You can specify a list of zones that you are concerned with. This will tell you if you are near a high-risk zone or if you are not in one.
*Additionally, using the Flood Report along with the aerial images and manual placement, you can ensure that your structure is being plotted in exact location.
If you're not exactly sure what a particular zone
means, check out our Flood Zone definitions and explanations at: http://www.riskmeter.net/RiskMeter/floodzon.htm
RiskMeter Online FEMA Flood Map Updates
Flood Elevation
This report builds upon the standard Flood
Report. However, in addition to the flood data, the report also identifies
flood risks that are nearby. The idea is to identify flood risks that may be
present even if the location is not in a flood zone. If the location falls
outside of a flood zone, the report calculates the distance to the nearest 100
year flood zone, and estimates the height of the location above the flood zone.
If the location falls within a flood zone, the report estimates what the water
depth would be during the 100 year flood.
The key to this report is that
CDS has figured out how to estimate the Base Flood Elevation (eBFE).
A base flood elevation is the elevation of the surface of the water when flooded.
This is done with a combination of the flood data and the elevation data.
Please note that these may not match exactly the BFE’s shown on FEMA flood maps. This is due to differences
in the elevation data, which is provided by the USGS. USGS elevation data
in general has an accuracy of +/- 2 meters, or about 6 feet. However, it is
still very valuable to know if the location is near a flood zone, and the
difference in elevation is small.
Some answers may seem odd, which are attributable to the elevation data and corresponding flood information. Again, these are due to minor inconsistencies in the elevation data, but the information is still very useful in raising awareness of possible underwriting concerns. For example, on some occasions the height above the flood zone may be negative, or the water depth may be shown as a negative number. This is because by chance, the elevation of the location is very close to the elevation of the flood zone. In either case, it means that this location is at risk of flooding, as there is very little difference in elevation.
Fields: SFHA, Distance To Flood Zone, Community Number, Community Name, Zone, Panel, Panel Date, Cobra, Elevation, Estimated BFE, Height Above BFE, Estimated Water Depth
SFHA: Special Flood Hazard Zone – This is the
100 year floodplain. This is generally what people refer to as being “In a
Flood Zone.” Returns In or Out, telling whether or not
the property falls within the SFHA zone.
Community Number: A 6-digit standardized community code
defined by FEMA.
Community Name: Name of the community
Zone: The flood zone as specified by FEMA.
Panel: The panel number of the paper map associated with this
area.
Panel date: The panel date. This is the date that the map was
produced and/or last updated, whichever is newer. Formatted as (month, day, year).
COBRA: Coastal Barriers Resource Act of 1982
removed federal government support for building and development in undeveloped
portions of hazardous coastal areas. Returns In or Out,
telling whether or not the property falls into a COBRA zone.
Distance to Flood Zone: This field gives the distance to the
nearest 100-year flood zone in increments
Elevation: This is the elevation at the location entered
(subject property) in feet above sea level
Estimated BFE: This is the Estimated Base Flood Elevation (eBFE). This is the estimated elevation of the water’s
surface when at the 100 year flood level. This is not shown (N/A) if the
subject property is too far from the nearest flood plain. By default, a
property whose closest flood zone is greater than 1,500 feet will see the N/A
result.
Height Above BFE: This is the height
above the flood zone. It is the difference between the elevation and the
estimated BFE. In general this is a positive number. If the number is small or
negative, this indicates a risk of flooding. Negative numbers are due to minor
accuracy issues in the elevation data. This is only shown if the location falls
outside of the 100 year flood zone. This is not shown (N/A) if you are too far
from the nearest flood plain
Estimated Water Depth: This is the estimated depth of the
water if this location was flooded to the 100 year flood level. This is the
difference between the elevation of the location and the estimtated
BFE(eBFE). This is only shown if the location falls
within a 100 year flood zone.
Note: If the location is far away from the nearest 100 year flood plain, then the Estimated BFE and Height above BFE fields are not calculated, as they would probably be of little practical use. In these cases, the Estimated BFE and Height Above BFE will say “N/A”.
Availability: Entire US, where available. FEMA does not
provide maps for every community in the
Special Features/Options:
The maximum distance to return the Estimated BFE and Height above BFE can be set to different distances. Contact CDS if you have any questions.
By default, CDS calculates the distance
to all 100-year flood zones; i.e. all A and V zones. However, we can use specific
distances, or also give the distance and height above other zones, like the
500 year flood plain.
*Additionally, using the Flood Report along with the aerial images and manual
placement, you can ensure that your structure is being plotted in exact location.
Flood Zone Definitions and Explanations
If you're not exactly sure what a particular zone
means, check out our Flood Zone definitions and explanations at: http://www.riskmeter.net/RiskMeter/floodzon.htm
RiskMeter Online FEMA Flood Map Updates
This report shows the distance to the nearest fault. The data is provided by United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.). You can set the parameters as to how far from the fault you are concerned with.
Fields: Within (Distance).
Within: This states how far the property is from the
Earthquake fault according to the distance measure selected during the setup of
the account. When setting up an account,
CDS can set the distances to check: i.e. ½ mile, 1 mile, 2
mile, etc. This is a textual description
(i.e. “Within 1 Mile of EQ Fault”)
* We include an outside of risk zone message if the property is not within meaningful distance of the risk
Availability: Entire US.
This report
shows what tax district the address entered falls into. In the state of
Fields: Fire Tax Code, Name, County, Fire
Fire Tax
Code: This is the proper
jurisdiction code that should be used as defined by the State of
Name: This is the name of the jurisdiction.
County: This is the county
Fire: This tells if it falls within a fire jurisdiction
Availability: State of
This report
shows what tax district the address entered falls into. In the state of
Fields: Police Tax Code, Name, County, Police
Code: This is the proper jurisdiction code that
should be used as defined by the State of
Name: This is the name of the jurisdiction.
County: This is the county
Police: This tells if it falls within a police jurisdiction
Availability: State of
This report shows whether
or not the address entered falls into the state defined wind pool area. In
areas with a tiered wind pool, the report will also tell what eligible area the
property falls within.
Fields: Wind Zone
Wind Zone: This says whether a property is “In” or “Out” of a state wind pool. If the wind pool is tiered, it will tell which pool the property is eligible for.
Availability: AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, NJ, SC, TX.
This report
gauges the potential for hail damage for any location in the Continental US.
It is based on
Fields: Hscale, Hpercentile, Storms Per Year, Hail Score
Hscale: This is a number between 1 - 100 that represents the frequency of hail storms from 1990 - 2007. For example, the national average is 6 (equates to 2.3 hail storms/year), so any Hscale number higher than that is more likely to have hail.
Hpercentile:
This is a percentile score that compares your lookup to the rest of the
Storms
Per Year:
This is the average number of storms per year for the area. The national average is 2.3 hail storms per
year.
Hail Score: This is the hail score based upon the number of storms per year. The scores can be interpreted as follows:
0 No Risk - No Storms
1
Low Risk – Less than 2 storms per year
2
Average Risk – 2 to 3 storms per year
3
Elevated Risk – 3 to 5 storms per year
4
High Risk – 5 to 15 storms per year
5
Extreme Risk – More than 15 storms per year
Availability:
Entire US.
This report
gauges the potential for tornado damage for any location in the Continental
US. It is based on
Fields: Tscale, Tpercentile, Storms per Year and Tornado Score
Tscale: This is a number between 1-100 that represents the frequency of tornado events from 1990 - 2007. Currently, the national average is 8 (equates to 0.33 tornadoes per year), so any Tscale number higher than that is more likely to have a tornado occur.
Tpercentile:
This is a percentile score that compares your lookup to the rest of
the
Storms Per Year: This is the average number of storms per year for the area. The national average is 1 tornado every 3 years or 0.33 tornados per year
Tornado Score: This score is based upon the number of tornados per year. The scores can be interpreted as follows:
0 No Risk - No Storms
1 Below Average Risk - Less than 1 tornado every 5 years on average
2 Average Risk – Approximately 1 tornado every 3 to 5 years on average
3 Elevated Risk – Approximately 1 tornado every 1 to 2 years on average
4 High Risk – 1 to 2 tornadoes per year on average
5 Extreme Risk – More than 2 tornadoes per year on average
Availability: Entire US.
This report
shows in which county the address entered is located.
Fields: County and FIPS.
County: Name of the county.
FIPS: Federal Information Processing Standard - The
standardized code corresponding to the county.
Availability: Entire US.
This report shows
in which city or town the address entered is located. These cities and towns are referred to as
minor civil divisions (MCDs). These are the official town boundaries as
defined by government entities. This has
recently been changed. In states where
significant development and annexations occur, this can look at cities and
unincorporated areas.
City: This is the name of the city, or unincorporated area.
Availability: Entire US.
This report will give you the driving distance to the three closest fire stations, names of the stations and staffing (professional, volunteer or a combination). This report uses routing technology to determine the distances to the stations (This is not a guesstimate)!
Fields: Distance, Station, Staffing and RMID
Distance: This
will give you the distances of the three closest fire stations
Station: Returns
the name of the fire station
Staffing: Tells
you if the station is career, volunteer or a combination
RMID: Serial number which helps us to identify a particular fire station
Availability: National
This report shows whether or not a property falls into a brush fire zone. For this test, the California Department of Forestry and local governing agencies provide the information. These are the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) as defined by the “Bates Bill”.
Fields: BF Bates, BF Proximity and BFSRA.
BF Bates: This tells if a property is located in an area identified as a brush fire hazard. Brush fire hazard areas are those identified by the “Bates Bill.” It will say whether or not the property is “IN” or “OUT” of the hazard area.
BF Proximity: This shows how close a property is to a brush fire zone. If a property falls outside of a brush fire hazard area, this tells how far away the property is from the closest brush fire hazard.
* Note - Generally companies set a maximum distance that they are interested in checking (i.e. once you’re more than 1 mile away, it is not considered a wildfire risk). We include the message “Outside of risk zone,” if the property is not within a meaningful distance of the risk.
BF
SRA: State Responsible Zone – These
are non-federal lands for which fire protection is provided by the State of
Availability: State of
This report shows whether or not a property falls into a brush fire zone. This data is a digital version of the popular “Renie Ad Map” books that have been used for decades by insurers to identify brush hazard areas, as well as the Fire Protection Class for a given location.
Fields: RF Results, Proximity
RF Results: This tells if a property is located in an area identified as a brush fire hazard. Brush fire hazard areas are those identified by the Renie Ad Map map books. It will say whether or not the property is “IN” or “OUT” of the hazard area.
* Note - Generally companies set a maximum distance that they are interested in checking (i.e. once you’re more than 1 mile away, it is not considered a wildfire risk). We include the message “Outside of risk zone,” if the property is not within a meaningful distance of the risk.
Proximity: This shows how close a property is to a brush fire zone. If a property falls outside of a brush fire hazard area, this tells how far away the property is from the closest brush fire hazard. These distances can be set according to the distances you want to check.
Availability:
6 counties in CA.
The
CDS Business Mapping Wildfire Hazard Model is the quick and accurate way for
you to determine the potential risk of brush fires for properties in the
western
Fields: BF_Results, Proximity
RF Results: This is the brush rating for the location where the property is located. It returns one of the following four values:
· Very Low
· Low
· Medium
· High
Proximity: This shows how close a property is to an area rated as a risk. The idea here is that if you are not in a high risk area, you would like to know if you are near one. These distances can be set according to the distances you want to check. CDS can also set this to check for both medium and high, or simply high-risk areas.
* Note - Generally companies set a maximum distance that they are interested in checking (i.e. once you’re more than 1 mile away, it is not considered a wildfire risk). We include the message “Outside of risk zone,” if the property is not within a meaningful distance of the risk.
Availability: AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA and WY.
Special Features/Options:
The brush report is highly configurable. First, the distances to check for proximity can be customized for each account. In addition, you can decide whether to check the proximity to only high risk areas, or medium and high risk areas. Also, we can allow small patches of brush to be allowed (using percentage thresholds), while eliminating large areas. Different thresholds can be used for different distances, too. Finally, for agents who write for many different carriers, CDS can give back separate distances for the distance to medium and the distance to high, so that the agent can see which carriers will accept the risk.
When used in conjunction with the aerial images/Birdseye Geocoding, this can be an incredibly powerful tool for you to evaluate brush exposures.
This lookup shows what the
fire protection code is for the address entered. They are based upon fire
districts and municipalities. CDS Business Mapping takes the paper definitions
as provided by the Renie Ad Map books.
Availability:
6 counties in CA (
This lookup shows what the
fire protection code is for the address entered. They are based upon fire
districts and municipalities, as defined by the Mississippi Rating Bureau
(MSRB).
Fields: City, County,
Protected, Unprotected
City: Name of the municipality
County: Name of the county
Protected: Protection class for protected homes
Unprotected: Protection class for unprotected homes
Availability:
State of
This lookup provides the insurer with the proper CEA Zone. CEA zones are set up by the California Earthquake Authority to determine rates for homeowners insurance.
Availability:
State of
US Quick Quake – Assess (Basic)
Specifically geared
for underwriters, this tool provides the local soil conditions, the name and
distance to the closest fault, identification of the controlling fault and the
resulting MMI at the site. The account can be set to return values for a 100,
250 or 500 year return period. In
areas of low EQ risk, not all fields will be returned. Fields that may be
returned are as follows Soil, Magnitude, Peak Ground Acceleration, MMI,
Controlling Fault, Distance to Controlling Fault, Closest Fault, Distance to
Closest Fault and Score.
An
important note on the EQE methodology used. The model looks at
faults that are active faults. An
active fault in the model is a fault that is expected to rupture with a given
probability within the return period chosen.
For example, if a fault is not expected to rupture, within say, 100
years, and the return period chosen is 100 years, that fault will not be shown
in the output. It is statistically
insignificant. Because of this fact,
known faults may not be shown in the output (because they are not expected to
rupture within the return period), or different answers for the same location
are possible based upon different return periods.
Also important to
note is that full data will only be returned in areas where there is
statistically significant seismic activity and an active fault. Areas with inactive faults (based upon the
return period selected) will only return the soil type (and the score, if US
Quick Quake – Score if selected).
Fields: Soil, Magnitude, Peak Ground Acceleration,
MMI, Controlling Fault, Distance to Controlling Fault, Closest Fault and
Distance to Closest Fault.
Soil: Returns one of the following values:
o
Rock
Magnitude: This is the magnitude of the
"design-basis" earthquake at the controlling fault. In other words,
it is the largest magnitude expected at the controlling fault during the
selected return period.
Peak Ground Acceleration (g): Intensity is a measure of how strongly the
ground is shaken by an earthquake. Because some types of ground shake
more than others, the intensity can vary from place to place in an earthquake,
even within the same neighborhood. The measure of intensity is the peak
ground acceleration (PGA) in unit of "g" or gravity. A value of
0.5 represents a peak ground acceleration of half the acceleration of gravity.
Modified Mercalli Intensity
(MMI): This scale uses the
observations of the people who experienced the earthquake to estimate its
intensity. There are 12 levels of observation represented by a roman numeral equivalent. 1 (Low) – 12
(High). See further descriptions
below:
Controlling Fault:
Name of the fault producing the greatest
damage at the site
Distance to Controlling Fault (Mi): Distance in miles
from a site to the controlling fault from a group of hypothetical faults
selected for analysis.
Closest Fault: Name of the closest
fault to the site.
Distance to Closest Fault (Mi): Distance in miles
from a site to the closest fault from a group of hypothetical faults selected
for analysis.
MMI Scale Definitions:
|
Mercalli
Intensity |
Magnitude |
Witness Observations |
|
1 |
1 to 2 |
Not felt.
Marginal and long period effects of large earthquakes. |
|
2 |
2 to 3 |
Felt by
persons at rest, on upper floors, or favorably placed. |
|
3 |
3 to 4 |
Felt indoors.
Hanging objects swing. Vibration like passing of light trucks. Duration
estimated. May not be recognized as an earthquake. |
|
4 |
4 |
Hanging
objects swing. Vibration like passing of heavy trucks; or sensation of a jolt
like a heavy ball striking the walls. Standing motor cars rock. Windows,
dishes, doors rattle. Glasses clink. Crockery clashes. In the upper range of
IV, wooden walls and frame creak. |
|
5 |
4 to 5 |
Felt
outdoors; direction estimated. Sleepers wakened. Liquids disturbed, some
spilled. Small unstable objects displaced or upset. Doors swing, close, open.
Shutters, pictures move. Pendulum clocks stop, start, change rate. |
|
6 |
5 to 6 |
Felt by all.
Many frightened and run outdoors. Persons walk unsteadily. Windows, dishes,
glassware broken. Knickknacks, books, etc., off shelves. Pictures fall off
walls. Furniture moved or overturned. Weak plaster and masonry D (See masonry
definitions below) cracked. Small bells ring (church, school). Trees, bushes
shaken (visibly, or heard to rustle). |
|
7 |
6 |
Difficult
to stand. Noticed by drivers of motor cars. Hanging objects quiver. Furniture
broken. Damage to masonry D, including cracks. Weak chimneys broken at roof
line. Fall of plaster, loose bricks, stones, tiles, cornices (also unbraced parapets and architectural ornaments). Some
cracks in masonry C. Waves on ponds; water turbid with mud. Small slides and
caving in along sand or gravel banks. Large bells ring. Concrete irrigation
ditches damaged. |
|
8 |
6 to 7 |
Steering of
motor cars affected. Damage to masonry C; partial collapse. Some damage to
masonry B; none to masonry A. Fall of stucco and some masonry walls.
Twisting, fall of chimneys, factory stacks, monuments, towers, elevated
tanks. Frame houses moved on foundations if not bolted down; loose panel
walls thrown out. Decayed piling broken off. Branches broken from trees.
Changes in flow or temperature of springs and wells. Cracks in wet ground and
on steep slopes. |
|
9 |
7 |
General
panic. Masonry D destroyed; masonry C heavily damaged, sometimes with
complete collapse; masonry B seriously damaged. (General damage to foundations.)
Frame structures, if not bolted, shifted off foundations. Frames racked.
Serious damage to reservoirs. Underground pipes broken. Conspicuous cracks in
ground. In alluvial areas sand and mud ejected, earthquake fountains, sand
craters. |
|
10 |
7 to 8 |
Most
masonry and frame structures destroyed with their foundations. Some
well-built wooden structures and bridges destroyed. Serious damage to dams,
dikes, embankments. Large landslides. Water thrown on banks of canals,
rivers, lakes, etc. Sand and mud shifted horizontally on beaches and flat
land. Rails bent slightly. |
|
11 (XI) |
8 |
Rails bent
greatly. Underground pipelines completely out of service. |
|
12 |
8 or greater |
Damage
nearly total. Large rock masses displaced. Lines of sight and level distorted.
Objects thrown into the air. |
Masonry Definitions:
Masonry
A: Good workmanship, mortar, and
design; reinforced, especially laterally, and bound together by using steel,
concrete, etc.; designed to resist lateral forces.
Masonry B: Good
workmanship and mortar; reinforced, but not designed in detail to resist
lateral forces.
Masonry C: Ordinary
workmanship and mortar; no extreme weaknesses like failing to tie in at
corners, but neither reinforced nor designed against horizontal forces.
Masonry D: Weak materials,
such as adobe; poor mortar; low standards of workmanship; weak horizontally.
Full
descriptions are from: Richter, C.F., 1958. Elementary
Seismology. W.H. Freeman and Company,
Availability: Continental
US Quick Quake – Score
(Advanced)
The EQE Earthquake Score
is designed to give the underwriter a simple, quantitative score to evaluate
the overall earthquake risk for a given location. The score takes into account the effects of
ground shaking, as well as event frequency.
This report will return a score from 1 (very low) to 10 (high).
Fields:
Score
Score: The possible values for the earthquake score are:
|
Risk
Score |
Definition |
|
10 |
Extremely high risk -
within the highest 1% of risk among all |
|
9 |
Very high risk -
between the 96th and 99th percentiles of risk among all |
|
8 |
Very high risk -
between the 88th and 96th percentiles of risk among all |
|
7 |
High risk - between the
72nd and 88th percentiles of risk among all |
|
6 |
Moderate risk - between
the 50th and 72nd percentiles of risk among all |
|
5 |
Moderate risk - between
the 28th and 50th percentiles of risk among all |
|
4 |
Low risk - between the
12th and 28th percentiles of risk among all |
|
3 |
Very low risk - between
the 4th and 12th percentiles of risk among all |
|
2 |
Very low risk - between
the 1st and 4th percentiles of risk among all |
|
1 |
Extremely low risk -
within the lowest 1% of risk among all |
Availability: Entire US; 50 States
and
AP (Alquist-Priolo) Fault
Zones
This report shows you whether or nor a property falls
into an Alquist-Priolo Fault Zone. AP Fault Zones are
designated by the California Department of Mines & Geology as areas near
active faults. These are areas adjacent to faults, and therefore likely to be
damaged by earthquakes. This is also a requirement for disclosure on CA real
estate transactions.
Fields: Alquist-Priolo
Alquist-Priolo: The results will be either in or out.
Availability: State of
This report tells you whether or not the property in
question is in or out of a landslide or liquefaction area. These very-high
resolution maps were developed by the State of
Liquefaction is a phenomenon in which the strength and stiffness of a soil is
reduced by earthquake shaking or other rapid loading. Liquefaction and related
phenomena have been responsible for tremendous amounts of damage in historical
earthquakes around the world.
Liquefaction occurs in
saturated soils, that is, soils in which the space between individual particles
is completely filled with water. This water exerts a pressure on the soil
particles that influences how tightly the particles themselves are pressed
together. Prior to an earthquake, the water pressure is relatively low. However,
earthquake shaking can cause the water pressure to increase to the point where
the soil particles can readily move with respect to each other.
Earthquake shaking often triggers this increase in water pressure, but
construction related activities such as blasting can also cause an increase in
water pressure. When liquefaction occurs, the strength of the soil decreases
and, the ability of a soil deposit to support foundations for buildings and
bridges is reduced. Liquefied soil also exerts higher
pressure on retaining walls, which can cause them to tilt or slide. This
movement can cause settlement of the retained soil and destruction of
structures on the ground surface.
Fields: Type
Type:
The results can be:
¨ High Landslide Probability Risk of
landslide exists
¨ High Liquefaction Probability Risk of Liquefaction exists
¨ High Landslide/Liquefaction Probability Risk of both
landslide/liquefaction exist
¨ Out No known landslide/liquefaction risk
Availability: Entire US
The data was created considering the effects of
vegetation, relative humidity, precipitation, temperature and slope. The data
was generated using 1km grid squares. There are several basic components of the
EQECAT Wildland fire risk rating model. The wildfire
burn model incorporates the effects of vegetation fuel load (including moisture
content and burning characteristics) and temporal effects such as wind speed,
wind direction, and seasonal humidity to develop a measure of fire risk. These
components are considered in developing the Wildland
Fire Rating Risk Score which provides a stable metric for comparing wildland fire risk nationwide.
Fields: FireDanger
FireDanger: This returns wild fire ratings of:
¨
Very Low
¨
Low
¨
Medium
¨
High
Availability: Continental
This report tells you
whether or not the property in question is in or out of a landslide or
liquefaction area. These very-high resolution maps were developed by the State
of
Liquefaction is a phenomenon in which the strength and stiffness of a soil is
reduced by earthquake shaking or other rapid loading. Liquefaction and related
phenomena have been responsible for tremendous amounts of damage in historical
earthquakes around the world. Liquefaction occurs in saturated soils, that is,
soils in which the space between individual particles is completely filled with
water. This water exerts a pressure on the soil particles that influences how
tightly the particles themselves are pressed together. Prior to an earthquake,
the water pressure is relatively low. However, earthquake shaking can cause the
water pressure to increase to the point where the soil particles can readily
move with respect to each other.
Earthquake shaking often triggers this increase in water pressure, but
construction related activities such as blasting can also cause an increase in
water pressure. When liquefaction occurs, the strength of the soil decreases
and, the ability of a soil deposit to support foundations for buildings and
bridges is reduced. Liquefied soil also exerts higher
pressure on retaining walls, which can cause them to tilt or slide. This
movement can cause settlement of the retained soil and destruction of
structures on the ground surface.
Fields: Type
Type: The results can be:
High Landslide Probability Risk of
landslide exists
High Liquefaction Probability Risk of Liquefaction exists
High Landslide/Liquefaction Probability Risk of both landslide/liquefaction
exist
Out No known landslide/liquefaction risk
Availability: State of
In several states, you are required
to collect taxes on insurance premiums, and report the taxes collected by
jurisdiction to the state. Jurisdictions
can be a combination of counties, cities, towns, villages and fire districts,
so getting the correct codes can be difficult.
The RiskMeter has made this process
simple! We have mapped the tax
jurisdictions for AL, DE, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, NJ, NY, SC, TX,
so all you need to do is enter the
address and the official codes and jurisdictions are returned! The states require similar yet different
data, so the returned information may vary by state. A few of the states are
explained below:
In the state of
This data was garnered from a
variety of sources. The official tax
code schedules were obtained from state agencies, and then maps were collected
outlining each jurisdiction. TIGER 2000 files were used for city boundaries,
unless newer digital city boundaries were available for state or county
sources. Fire district maps, where
needed, were sourced from local government sources, and were a combination of
paper and digital maps.
Fields: Code, Name, County, Tax, Type
Code: This is the proper jurisdiction code that
should be used as defined by the State of
Name: This is the name of the jurisdiction
County: This is the county name
Tax: This tells if you must collect taxes in this jurisdiction
Type: This tells if this is the Fire or Police Code (They can be
the same or different)
These are the official tax codes
for the State of
Fields: Line_Number,
County, FIPS
Line_Number: This is the official jurisdiction code
County: This is the county name
FIPS: This is the 5 digit official federal FIPS code for the county
Over 1,100 premium tax
jurisdictions exist in the state of IL, and they are a combination of cities,
towns, MCDs, villages and fire districts. Where fire districts were involved, paper
maps were digitized. City, town, MCD and
village maps were used from TIGER 2000.
City boundaries were cut out of fire districts where necessary, and the
digital boundaries were used where conflicts occurred (it was considered more
reliable). Please note: There also may
be minor coding problems at the edges of jurisdictions because the maps were
digitized. 4 Digit codes are used in IL,
and a code of 9999 was assigned to areas were taxes are not collected.
Fields: Code, Name, County
Code: This is the proper jurisdiction code that
should be used
Name: This is the name of the jurisdiction
County: This is the county name
These are the official taxing
jurisdictions for the state of
Fields: Code, Name,
County
Code: This is the proper jurisdiction code that
should be used as defined by the State of
Name: This is the name of the jurisdiction
County: This is the county (parish) name
These are the official taxing
jurisdictions as defined by the state.
Fields: Tax_Code, City_Code, Name, Place, County, FIPS
Tax_Code: This is the proper jurisdiction code that should be used as
defined by the State of
City Code: This is the official city code assigned by the state
Name: This is the name of the jurisdiction
Place: This is the place code assigned by the state
County: This is the county name
FIPS: This is the 5 digit official federal FIPS
code for the county
Availability:
AL, DE, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, NJ, NY, SC, TX
These crime scores (Part of the CrimeRisk™) are used as predictors of crime vulnerability
throughout the
This
data is a predictor of crime vulnerability, and gives scores of 1-2,000 based
against the national average of 100. So
if the score is 50, the crime rate is expected to be half that of the national
average, or if the score is 300, the rate is expected to be three times the
national average. These are current year
estimates. Individual and aggregate
scores are given for different types of crimes.
Content
CrimeRisk
is a geographic database consisting of a series of standardized indexes for a
range of serious crimes against both persons and property. It is derived from
an extensive analysis of several years of crime reports from the vast majority
of law enforcement jurisdictions nationwide. The crimes included in the
database are the “Part 1” crimes and include: murder, rape, robbery, assault,
burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft. These categories are the primary
reporting categories used by the FBI in its Uniform Crime Report (UCR). Part II
crimes are not reported in the detail databases and are generally available
only for selected areas or at high levels of geography.
In
accordance with the reporting procedures using the UCR reports, aggregate
indexes have been prepared for personal and property crimes separately, as well
as a total index. While this provides a useful measure of the relative
“overall” crime rate in an area, it must be recognized that these are unweighed indexes, in that a murder is weighed no more
heavily than a purse snatching in the computation. For this reason, caution is
advised when using any of the aggregate index values.
Methodology
The primary
source of CrimeRisk was a careful compilation and analysis
of the FBI Uniform Crime Report databases. On an annual basis, the FBI collects
data from about 16,000 separate law enforcement jurisdictions at the city,
county, and state levels and compiles these into its annual Uniform Crime
Report (UCR). While useful, the UCR provides detailed data only for the largest
cities, counties and metropolitan areas. Virtually all jurisdictions nationwide
participate in the UCR program.
In order to
undertake the analysis, AGS obtained detailed jurisdictional level data for the
years 1990 through 1996 (the latest year currently available) and supplemented
these detailed statistics with 1999 preliminary UCR statistics at the State
level and for cities and metropolitan areas where those have been released. We
are now using UCR data from 1996-2003. The preliminary 2004 release data was
used to balance the models to the latest available data.
A wide range
of 1990 Census and current year demographic attributes was extracted from AGS’
databases for the remaining areas (approximately 8,500 separate
“jurisdictions”). This database was then used as the primary modeling database
and was used later for scaling. Each of the seven crime types was modeled
separately, using an initial range of about 65 socioeconomic characteristics (race
and ethnicity are not used in building these scores.) taken from the 1990
Census and AGS’ current year estimates. Separate models were constructed for
each of the nine Census regions (e.g. New
The results
of these models were then applied to the block group level using the same
demographic attributes compiled at the block group level. The resulting
estimates were then scaled to match the master database of 8,500 jurisdictions.
For cities, the block groups within each city were scaled to match the city
total. For areas outside of these cities (or for smaller centers), results were
scaled to match the county total after adjusting for those cities scaled
separately. The final crime rate estimates were then weighted by population and
aggregated to the national totals. The results were then scaled to match the
2004 preliminary estimates (at a state level) and converted to indexes relative
to the national total.
Fields: Aggregate Crime Index, Homicide, Rape,
Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Motor Vehicle Theft, Violent Crimes,
Property Crimes
Aggregate Crime Index –
Overall crime score
Violent Crimes
(Combines the 4 below)
¨
Murder
¨
Rape
¨
Robbery
¨
Assault
Property Crimes (Combines the 3 below)
¨
Burglary
¨
Larceny
¨
Motor Vehicle Theft
* Note - Violent Crimes and Property Crimes are aggregate
indexes. For Violent Crimes, the indexes
for murder, rape, robbery, and assault are combined, then re-indexed. For
Property Crimes, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft indexes are
combined, then re-indexed to 100.
Availability: Entire US.
This report provides vital information about the proximity to known sinkholes. For the requested address you will get the number of sinkholes within the area, the distance to the closest sinkhole and details about the closest sinkhole(s).
Several databases were merged together to compile the RM sinkhole database, and duplicate events were eliminated. The merged database contains over 1,900 sinkholes reported and confirmed from 1970 to 2006. The key sources used for the sinkhole data include:
¨ SW Florida Water Management District
¨
¨
CDS believes this is the most comprehensive sinkhole database available today.
Fields: Number of Sinkholes within XX miles,
Distance to Closest Sinkhole, Ref_num, date, depth_ft
Number of Sinkholes within XX miles: This is the number of
sinkholes within a given radius. The distance is a parameter that can be set
for each account. Contact CDS to
change the distance for your account. Additionally, more than one radius can be
used.
Distance to Closest Sinkhole: This is the
distance to the closest sinkhole. In
addition, these distances can be customized to meet your underwriting
requirements.
Ref_num: This is an individual ID assigned to each
sinkhole
Date: This is the date the sinkhole occurred.
Depth_ft: This is the depth of the sinkhole in FT
Details on the closest sinkhole(s)
is(are) shown.
Availability: FL
Special Features/Options:
CDS Sinkhole Clearinghouse
In an attempt to get a better
handle on where all the sinkholes are located, CDS has initiated a sinkhole
clearinghouse. Individual carriers submit information on their known sinkholes,
which are only shared by other participating carriers. In this way, CDS can
provide a more complete picture of sinkhole risks than any individual carrier
could get by themselves. This gives participating companies access to hundreds
of extra, confirmed sinkholes.
CDS has recently added slope, aspect and elevation. This data is derived from the National
Elevation Data set (NED) recently released by the USGS. The grid size (distance between readings) in
the NED range varies from 10 to 100 meters, depending on the area. The best data available is always used. The three columns shown below are given for
the location. Additionally, the RiskMeter provides the minimum, maximum and average reads
for slope and elevation within a given radius (usually 250’ unless specified by
the user). The min, max and average are
shown in case the house is located very near a steep slope. Additionally, since this data is based upon
gridded values, the slope and elevation may not be exact for very small
areas. However, in general, they should
be accurate.
Fields: Slope, Aspect and Elevation
Slope: This is the slope at the location. This is shown as the degrees slope.
Aspect: This is the direction that the slope is facing. This is the direction you would look if you were facing away from the hill.
Elevation: This is the elevation of the location in feet.
Availability: CA, CT, DC,
DE, FL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OR. RI, VT, WA
- Nationally Soon!
Special Features/Options:
The radius to use for the slope and elevation
statistics (min., max., avg.) can be set by CDS for
your account. Contact CDS if you would like to change the radius.
This
report brings back the three critical pieces of information needed by insurers
to meet requirements for the new Florida Wind Loss Mitigation Credits program.
Insurers must use these maps to apply discounts in accordance with this new
mandate expected to be in effect starting January 1, 2004. The 3 maps are as
follows:
¨ Windborne Debris Regions
¨ Windspeed Region
¨ High Velocity Hurricane Zones (Also known as Terrain
B&C Regions)
Fields: Type, Result
Type: This field identifies which of the 3 pieces of information above is being returned. This will say High Velocity Wind Region, Windspeed Region, and Windborne Debris
Region.
Result: This field gives the required information for the category shown above. Here are the expected values for each type of result:
¨ Windborne Debris Region – In or Out.
¨ Windspeed Region – A numerical value (MPH).
¨ High Velocity Wind Region – Terrain B or Terrain C.
Availability: State of
These are fairly recent aerial/satellite photos. A second map will appear to the right of the RiskMap. This can be turned on from the “Show Aerial Map” checkbox on the address verification/pick reports screen, or by clicking on the “Birdseye Geocoding” icon next to the map. There are several key features and pieces of information to note. First, the aerial map matches the aerial in size and scale of the RiskMap to the left. As the user zooms in, out, or pans around the map, the two maps will stay in synch!
Additionally, there is an icon underneath the aerial map that says “More Info.” Clicking on this brings up another small window. There are several items of note in the window. First is the Date field. This is the date of the photograph. The second field is the Data Resolution field. This is the size of each pixel in the picture in Meters. The smaller the pixel size, the further that you can zoom in without losing detail.
Aerial Information: Although the images cover the entire US, the
resolution varies, and is generally best in major cities. Additional updated, high-resolution images
are added regularly.
Special Features/Options:
The aerial images are not only pictures, but can be used as powerful tools, too. The term “Birdseye Geocoding” (patent pending) refers to the fact that when used with the manual placement tool, the aerial image can be an amazing tool for pinpointing the exact risk location. If the point where the RiskMeter puts the subject is not correct, you can use the manual placement tool and click on the aerial map (or RiskMap) to move the subject. Not only does the RiskMeter move the subject, it actually re-calculates the results! Therefore, if you can pinpoint the location on the aerial photo, you can be sure you’re getting accurate results.
Availability: Entire US.
Tier 1 counties are counties that border the
coastline. They are used by many
insurers and reinsurers to quickly and broadly identify coastal risks.
Fields: Tier1
Tier1: Yes or
No. Yes, if it is a coastal county. No, otherwise.
Availability: Entire US.
These are very detailed liquefaction potential maps of
the San Francisco Bay Area. These maps are
known as the de-facto standard, and are posted on the ABAG (Association of Bay
Area Governments) Web site. These maps,
although generally considered to be from ABAG, were actually developed by the
USGS.
Fields: Liquefaction, Ptype
Liquefaction: Rates
liquefaction into five buckets. The
categories are as follows:
§ Very Low
§ Low
§ Medium
§ High
§ Very High
Ptype: This is a
detailed breakdown of the type of soil found at the location
Availability: 9 counties
surrounding the San Francisco Bay, including: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin,
Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.
Special Features/Options:
When used in conjunction with the aerial images/Birdseye Geocoding, this can be an incredibly powerful tool for underwriters to evaluate earthquake exposures. You can use the Birdseye geocoding to ensure that the risk is located properly, and use the manual placement option to get site level earthquake analyses.
Fire Perimeters:
The fire extents test tells you if the address falls within an area that was
burned by a previous fire. The dataset covers the early 1900’s through 2003 in the
state of
Fields: State, County, Fire_Name,
Fire_Number, Year
State – Returns state which
the fire took place
County – This is the county where the fire took place
Fire_Name – Tells you the name of the fire
Fire_Number – Serial number which helps us to
identify a particular fire
Year – This field indicates when the fire took place
States Available: Entire US
Special Features/Options:
When used in conjunction with the CDS Wildfire Model, this test can provide
insight into which areas are the most fire prone.
These are the official Tsunami Evacuation Areas as defined
by the State of
In coordination with the Civil Defense officers on each island, a final map was prepared showing the actual evacuation zones. The zones extend inland from the inundation limit to the nearest landmark such as a road, which can be used by public and police to identify the areas which must be evacuated to ensure safety. When the sirens sound, people are routed to safety until officials determine that hazardous wave action has ceased.
These are the official Tsunami Evacuation Areas as defined
by the State of
Status - In or Out
Island -
Mapnum - Official Map Number (from paper maps)
Mapname - Official Map Name (from paper maps)
Source: State
of
Availability: State of
Vintage: September 1998
Scientific findings
of the last several years have shown that the
Status: - In/Out
County: -
Source: Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.
Availability:
State of
These are the official hazard zones for the
Fields: Hazard_zone, Volcano
Hazard_Zone: This is the hazard zone (1 Highest - 9 Lowest)
Volcano: Name of the volcano
1 Highest <---------- Hazard
Scale ---------> Lowest 9
|
|
|||
|
Zone |
Percentage of area covered by lava since 1800 |
Percentage of area covered by lava in last 750 years |
Explanation |
|
1 |
greater than 25 |
Greater than 65 |
Includes the summits and rift zones of Kilauea and |
|
2 |
15-25 |
25-75 |
Areas adjacent to and downslope of active rift zones. |
|
3 |
1-5 |
15-75 |
Areas gradationally less hazardous than Zone 2 because of greater distance from recently active vents and/or because the topography makes it less likely that flows will cover these areas. |
|
4 |
about 5 |
less than 15 |
Includes all of Hualalai, where
the frequency of eruptions is lower than on Kilauea and |
|
5 |
none |
about 50 |
Areas currently protected from lava flows by the topography of the volcano. |
|
6 |
none |
very little |
Same as Zone 5. |
|
7 |
none |
none |
20 percent of this area covered by lava in the last 10,000 yrs. |
|
8 |
none |
none |
Only a few percent of this area covered in the past 10,000 yrs. |
|
9 |
none |
none |
No eruption in this area for the past 60,000 yrs. |
Source: USGS; Original scale 1:250,000
Availability:
Vintage: Original maps were published in 1984 and revised – 1987
All property/casualty insurance companies licensed to do business in California are required to report annually their PML earthquake exposure with respect to risks located in California, according to the California Dept of Insurance – Ruling 226. This report is authorized by California Administrative Code, Title 10, Chapter 5, Subchapter 3, Article 3, Section 2307. All property written in the state, fall into one of the following categories and is required to be reported annually.
Fields: County, Zone
County: This is the name of the county
Zone: Physical definition of the boundary. The zone returned will be one of the following:
ZONE A
SUBZONE A1
SUBZONE A2
SUBZONE A3
ZONE B
SUBZONE B1
SUBZONE B2
SUBZONE B3
ZONE C
ZONE D
ZONE E
ZONE F
ZONE G
ZONE H
Availability:
State of
The Policy Exposure Module is a very powerful tool available to RiskMeter Online users. This module not only enables users to map their policies, but it provides many features, which allow users to:
¨ Set radii and determine how many policies fall within a particular distance, while also displaying coverage amounts
¨ Pull up a map, which displays the location of policies
¨ Display aggregates for custom regions, such as: counties, wind regions, EQ zones, etc
¨ Identify terror targets
¨ Determine if policies fall near terror targets
¨ Determine which columns will be returned for policies
¨ Retrieve individual policy details
For the policies that fall in each of the custom regions, coverage totals and policy counts will be shown. Under each section, you will see a hyperlink that says, “Show Details”. By clicking on the link, the user will see all of the policy details.
The Policy Exposure report has four main sections (from top to bottom):
¨ Predefined region aggregates
¨ Radius aggregates
¨ Map
¨ Individual policy information
The user can also get information on an individual policy by using the “Get Info” button and clicking on the map. The “Get Info” button is found above the map, to the right of the zoom tools. To use this, first select the Get Info button, then click on an individual policy on the map. The policy details will be displayed below the map.
Special Custom Features
¨ Terror targets may be identified by the customer
¨ The radii to aggregate can be defined by the customer
¨ The columns returned can be defined by the customer
¨
The columns to total (i.e. Coverage A, TIV,
etc) can be defined by the customer
Contact your CDS account representative for more details. There are many other options are available.
The CDS Storm Surge report
identifies areas that would be flooded from storm surge during a hurricane, as
well as predicted maximum storm surge heights.
The storm surge maps are based upon the well known and respected SLOSH (Sea,
The contours represent the areas
that would be flooded during a hurricane of the category shown. For example, the contour closest to the coast
shows areas that would be flooded during a category 1 storm, while the second
contour would represent areas flooded during a category 2 storm, etc. The category numbers represent the height of
the storm surge in feet above sea level at high tide. Lower surges would be expected at low or
slack tide. This report can be extremely
useful to carriers or agents writing excess flood, business interruption, BOP's, commercial property and coastal property.
Fields: Min. Hurricane Category, Category 1,
Category 2, Category 3, Category 4, Category 5, Notes
Minimum
Hurricane Category - The
lowest category hurricane that would flood this area. A
category of 0 means the area will not be affected by storm surge, regardless of
category
Category 1 - The
height (feet above sea level) of the storm surge during a category 1
hurricane.
Category 2 - The
height (feet above sea level) of the storm surge during a category 2 hurricane.
Category 3 - The
height (feet above sea level) of the storm surge during a category 3 hurricane.
Category 4 - The
height (feet above sea level) of the storm surge during a category 4 hurricane.
Category 5 - The
height (feet above sea level) of the storm surge during a category 5 hurricane.
It is important to note that the minimum hurricane category
represents the weakest hurricane that would flood a particular area, and it
would be affected by a storm of this category, as well as all higher categories.
For example a location in a category 2 area will be affected by any
storm from categories 2-5! In fact, the
higher the actual storm category, the worse the flooding will be! N/A means this area would not be
flooded during a storm of that category. For example, a location may not be
flooded unless a hurricane of category 3 or greater hits. Therefore, the area
would not be affected by storm surge from a category 1 or 2 storm.
For some reason, the CT data was
modeled combining Category 1 and Category 2 storms. There is only a single contour in CT for
category 1 and 2 storms. This represents
the area estimated to be inundated in a category 2 storm. The area inundated in a category 1 storm
would be smaller, and would represent the lower areas closer to the coast.
In some Northeastern states, there
are no values for Category 5 storms. Researchers
do not believe that a category 5 storm will hit the
This report will provide the EQE Average Annual Loss (AAL) for a location based upon key characteristics of the building in question. The average annual loss is the estimated amount of claims that will be paid per year based upon the long term average. This calculation is ideal to use for pricing policies in catastrophe prone areas. The AALs are gross losses, also known as ground up losses, as they don’t factor in deductibles, limits, etc. In addition, AAL is also known as the average annual damage (AAD), since financial modeling isn’t being performed. These calculations are based upon EQE’s WorldCat Enterprise(WCe) software.
Input Fields: Year Built, Year Upgraded/Retrofit, Number of Stories,
Number of Buildings, Structure Type, Occupancy, Return Period, Coverage and
Value. These fields
must be filled in as accurately as possible in order to receive an accurate
Average Annual Loss estimate!
Year Built – Year originally built
Year Upgraded/Retrofit – Year modified to meet then current hazard-specific building codes
Number of Stories- Total number of stories in the building
Number of Buildings – Number of structures (i.e. house and detached garage would be 2)
Structure Type - See detailed descriptions below
Occupancy -See detailed descriptions below
Return Period - Choose 100, 250 or 500 year return period
Coverage – Property, Content and Time
Value -The replacement value of Property, Contents or Time
Returned Fields:
Entered Values - All of the input fields are shown above are returned as part of the output, under the heading of Entered Values.
Average Annual Loss (AAL) - The average annual loss based upon a 100 year return period.
|
Short Description |
Detailed Description |
|
ISO Fire 1 (Frame) |
Buildings where the exterior
walls are wood or other combustible materials are combined with other
materials such as brick veneer, stone veneer, wood iron-clad, stucco on wood. |
|
ISO Fire 2 (Joisted Masonry) |
Buildings where the exterior
walls are constructed of masonry materials such as adobe, brick, concrete,
gypsum block, hollow concrete block, stone, tile or similar materials and
where the floors and roof are combustible. |
|
ISO Fire 3 (Noncombustible) |
Buildings where the exterior
walls and the floors are constructed of, and supported by, metal, asbestos,
gypsum or other non-combustible materials. |
|
ISO Fire 4(Masonry
Noncombustible) |
Buildings where the exterior
walls and the floors are constructed of masonry materials as described in Code
2 above [adobe, brick, concrete, gypsum block, hollow concrete block, stone,
tile, or similar materials] with the floors and roof of metal or other
noncombustible materials. |
|
ISO Fire 5 (Modified Fire
Resistive) |
Buildings where the exterior
walls and the floors and roof are constructed of masonry or fire resistive
material with a fire resistance rating of one hour or more but less than two
hours. |
|
ISO Fire 6 (Fire Resistive) |
Buildings where the exterior
walls and the floors and roof are constructed of masonry or fire resistive
material with a fire resistance rating of not less than two hours. |
|
ISO Fire 7 (Heavy Time Joisted
Masonry) |
Same as ISO Fire Code 2 with the
following additional requirements: For Group II Causes of Loss Code 7 shall apply
to buildings of heavy timber joisted masonry construction, where the
horizontal levels are a minimum of 2 inches in thickness and are supported by
timbers having a minimum dimension of 6 inches, and to buildings where the
roof assembly is documented to have a wind uplift classification of 90 or equivalent. |
|
ISO Fire 8 ( |
Same as ISO Fire Code 3 with the
following additional requirements: For Group II Causes of Loss Code 8 shall apply
to buildings of superior non-combustible construction, where the floors and
roof are constructed of 2 inches of masonry on steel supports, or documented
to be constructed of 22 gauge metal (or heavier) on steel supports, or
documented to have a wind uplift classification of 90 or equivalent. |
|
ISO Fire 9 ( |
Same as ISO Fire Code 4 with the
following additional requirements: For Group II Causes of Loss Code 9 shall
apply to buildings of superior masonry non-combustible construction, where
the floors and roof are constructed of 2 inches of masonry on steel supports,
or documented to be constructed of 22 gauge metal (or heavier) on steel
supports, or documented to have a wind uplift classification of 90 or
equivalent. |
|
Mobile Home Not Tied Down |
Typically a prefabricated timber
structure constructed on a light metal frame. Not tied down to the ground. |
|
Mobile Home Tied Down |
Typically a prefabricated timber
structure constructed on a light metal frame. Tied down to the ground. |
|
Precast Concrete (Not Tilt Up) |
Concrete structural elements are
manufactured off-site under controlled conditions, and assembled at the site. |
|
Concrete Tilt Up |
Buildings having perimeter walls
made of reinforced concrete panels that are poured on-site and are tilted up
into wall position. The floors and roof typically are constructed of
panelized wood connected to the perimeter walls. |
|
Low Rise Masonry |
Low rise, unreinforced masonry
bearing wall buildings |
|
Low Rise Concrete |
Low rise, concrete shear wall
buildings |
|
Low Rise Steel |
Low rise, light steel or metal
frame buildings |
|
High Rise Masonry |
High rise, reinforced masonry
shear wall with frame |
|
High Rise Concrete |
High rise, reinforced concrete
shear wall with frame |
|
High Rise Steel |
High rise, heavy steel building |
|
Name |
Description |
|
Chemical |
Chemical processing facilities |
|
Commercial |
Commercial structures, primarily
used for non-manufacturing operations |
|
Construction |
Structures under construction |
|
Entertainment |
Any type of eating
establishment, movie theatre or sports facilities |
|
Food & Drug |
Food and drug manufacturing and processing
facilities |
|
Health Care |
Health care facilities including
hospitals |
|
Heavy Industry |
Heavy manufacturing facilities |
|
High Technology |
High technology manufacturing
facilities including computer processing and chip manufacturing facilities |
|
Light Industry |
Other types of light industrial
facilities |
|
Parking |
Parking structures |
|
Residential |
Residential structures including
single and multi-family occupancies such as townhouses and apartments |
|
Other |
Other occupancies |
Perils Perils: EQ Ground Shaking
Availability: Entire
US
Special Features/Options: EQE has default values for the input values. If you leave these blank, the default values will be used, and ** will appear after the values. Additionally, CDS can set the defaults for each field to any specification you would like. If the system uses default values set for your account, an * will be displayed after this value. Also, for the occupancy and structure type, there is a value of {Don’t Know – Use Default }. This should only be used when the values are unknown, and these values should be used, rather than just accepting the default.
This report will provide the EQE Probable Maximum Loss (PML) for a location based upon a few characteristics of the building. The probable maximum loss is the estimated largest loss that will be encountered for a given return period. The return period can be set to 100, 250 or 500 years. This calculation is ideal to use when calculating the amount of insurance to purchase, or for determining the effects on capacity. The PMLs are gross losses, also known as ground up losses, as they don’t factor in deductibles, limits, etc. In addition, this is also known as the probable maximum damage (PMD), since financial modeling isn’t being performed. These calculations are based upon EQE’s WorldCat Enterprise(WCe) software.
Input Fields:
Year Built, Year Upgraded/Retrofit, Number of Stories, Number of Buildings,
Structure Type, Occupancy, Return Period, Coverage and Value. These fields must be filled in as accurately as possible in order to receive
an accurate Probable Maximum Loss!
Year Built – Year originally built
Year Upgraded/Retrofit – Year modified to meet then current hazard-specific building codes
Number of Stories
– Total number of stories in the building
Number of Buildings – Number of structures (i.e. house and detached garage would be 2)
Structure Type - See detailed descriptions under AAL
Occupancy - See detailed descriptions under AAL
Return Period – Choose 100, 250 or 500 year return period
Coverage – Property, Content or Time
Value - The replacement value of the Property, Contents or Time
Returned Fields:
Entered Values - All of the input fields are shown above are returned as part of the output, under the heading of Entered Values.
Probable Maximum Loss (PML) - The fields are returned as both the dollar amount and as a percentage of value.
Availability:
Entire US
Special Features/Options: EQE has default values for the input values. If you leave these blank, the default values will be used, and ** will appear after the values. Additionally, CDS can set the defaults for each field to any specification you would like. If the system uses default values set for your account, an * will be displayed after this value. Also, for the occupancy and structure type, there is a value of {Don’t Know – Use Default }. This should only be used when the values are unknown, and these values should be used, rather than just accepting the default.
Specifically geared for underwriters, this tool provides the local soil conditions, the name and distance to the controlling fault, liquefaction susceptibility and the resulting MMI at the site. These calculations are based upon EQE’s WorldCat enterprise(WCe) software.
An important note on the EQE methodology for this
model is it looks at faults that are active
faults. An active fault in the model is
a fault that is expected to rupture with a given probability within the return
period chosen. So if a fault is not
expected to rupture, within say, 100 years, and the return period chosen is 100
years, that fault will not be shown in the output. It is statistically insignificant. Because of this fact, known faults may not be
shown in the output (because they are not expected to rupture within the return
period), or different answers for the same location are possible based upon
different return periods.
Fields: Soil,
Liquefaction Susceptibility, Controlling Fault Name, Distance to Controlling
Fault, Modified Mercalli Index (MMI) 100 year, MMI
250 year and MMI 500 year
Soil: Returns one of the following values:
|
Soil Code |
Description |
|
Sa |
Hard Rock (Sa) |
|
Sa-b |
Rock and Hard Rock (Sa-b) |
|
Sb |
Rock (Sb) |
|
Sb-c |
Rock and Soft Rock (Sb-c) |
|
Sc |
Very Dense Soil and Soft Rock
(Sc) |
|
Sc-d |
Soft Rock and Stiff Soil (Sc-d) |
|
Sd |
Stiff Soil (Sd) |
|
Sd-e |
Soft Soil (Sd-e) |
|
Se |
Very Soft Soil (Se) |
|
A |
Granite and Metamorphic (A) |
|
B |
Paleozoic Sedimentary (B) |
|
C |
Early Mesozoic Sedimentary (C) |
|
CD |
Mesozoic/Cretaceous Sedimentary
(CD) |
|
D |
Cretaceous/Eocene Sedimentary
(D) |
|
E |
Undivided Tertiary Sedimentary
(E) |
|
F |
Oligocene/mid-Pliocene
Sedimentary (F) |
|
G |
Pliocene/Pleistocene Sedimentary
(G) |
|
H |
Tertiary Volcanic (H) |
|
I |
Quaternary Volvanic
(I) |
|
J |
Saturated Alluvium (J) |
|
K |
Alluvium: water depth greater
than 100ft (K) |
|
L |
Alluvium: water depth 30-100 ft
(L) |
|
LJ |
Alluvium: water depth 10-30 ft
(LJ) |
|
M |
Alluvuim: water depth greater than 100 ft (M) |
|
N |
Alluvuim: water depth greater than 100 ft (N) |
|
P |
Alluvium: water depth greater
than 100 ft (P) |
|
S |
Artificial Fill (S) |
|
S1 |
Rock-like stiff or dense soil
(S1) |
|
S2 |
Soft to medium stiff soil (S2) |
|
S3 |
Saturated alluvium (S3) |
|
S4 |
Artificial fill (S4) |
|
00 |
Unknown or bad code (OO) |
|
01 |
Reclaimed land (01) |
|
02 |
Sand bar/sand dune (02) |
|
03 |
Delta (mud, clay) (03) |
|
04 |
Delta (sandy soil) (04) |
|
05 |
Alluvial fan (05) |
|
06 |
Volcanic ash terrace (06) |
|
07 |
Sand & gravel terrace (07) |
|
08 |
Rock terrace (08) |
|
09 |
Hill (09) |
|
10 |
Volcanic footslope
(10) |
|
11 |
Mountain (11) |
Liquefaction Susceptibility – One of the
following responses will be returned
|
VERY LOW |
Expect less than 2 percent of
future liquefaction effects to occur within geologic unites assigned VERY LOW
susceptibility. Units within this category include early to late Pleistocene
and pre-Quaternary deposits and bedrock. |
|
LOW |
Expect about 2 percent of future
liquefaction effects to occur within geologic units
assigned LOW susceptibility. Geologic map units within this category include
Pleistocene marine and Bay terrace deposits, late Pliestocene
deposits and Holocene to latest Pleistocene basin deposits. Artificial
(historical) earthen dams are also assigned to this category. |
|
MODERATE |
Expect about 20 to 30 percent of
future liquefaction effects to occur within geologic units
assigned MODERATE susceptibility. Geologic map units within this category
include latest Pleistocene to Holocene deposits from a variety of
environments. Gravel quarries and percolation ponds (historical) are also
assigned to this category. |
|
HIGH |
Expect about 20 to 30 percent of
future liquefaction effects to occur within geologic units
assigned HIGH susceptibility. Geologic map units within this category include
latest Holocene to historical alluvial fan, stream and estuarine deposits and
many artificial fills |
|
VERY HIGH |
Expect about 40 to 50 percent of
future liquefaction effects to occur within geologic units
assigned VERY HIGH susceptibility. Geologic map units within this category
include latest Holocene to historical stream channel, natural levee and beach
deposits and artificial fill placed over mud and historically active stream
channels. |
Controlling
Fault Name: Name of the fault
producing the greatest damage at the site based upon a 100-year return period.
Distance
to Controlling Fault (Mi): Distance
in miles from a site to the controlling fault from a group of hypothetical
faults selected for analysis based upon a 100 year return period.
Modified Mercalli Intensity
(MMI): This scale uses the
observations of the people who experienced the earthquake to estimate its
intensity. There are 12 levels of observation represented by a roman numeral equivalent. 1 (Low) – 12
(High). See further descriptions
below:
MMI Scale Definitions:
|
Mercalli
Intensity |
Magnitude |
Witness Observations |
|
1 (I) |
1 to 2 |
Not felt. Marginal and long period effects of large earthquakes. |
|
2 (II) |
2 to 3 |
Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors, or favorably placed. |
|
3 (III) |
3 to 4 |
Felt indoors. Hanging objects swing. Vibration like passing of light trucks. Duration estimated. May not be recognized as an earthquake. |
|
4 (IV) |
4 |
Hanging objects swing. Vibration like passing of heavy trucks; or sensation of a jolt like a heavy ball striking the walls. Standing motor cars rock. Windows, dishes, doors rattle. Glasses clink. Crockery clashes. In the upper range of IV, wooden walls and frame creak. |
|
5 (V) |
4 to 5 |
Felt outdoors; direction estimated. Sleepers wakened. Liquids disturbed, some spilled. Small unstable objects displaced or upset. Doors swing, close, open. Shutters, pictures move. Pendulum clocks stop, start, change rate. |
|
6 (VI) |
5 to 6 |
Felt by all. Many frightened and run outdoors. Persons walk unsteadily. Windows, dishes, glassware broken. Knickknacks, books, etc., off shelves. Pictures off walls. Furniture moved or overturned. Weak plaster and masonry D (See masonry definitions below) cracked. Small bells ring (church, school). Trees, bushes shaken (visibly, or heard to rustle). |
|
7 (VII) |
6 |
Difficult to stand. Noticed by drivers of motor cars. Hanging objects quiver. Furniture broken. Damage to masonry D, including cracks. Weak chimneys broken at roof line. Fall of plaster, loose bricks, stones, tiles, cornices (also unbraced parapets and architectural ornaments). Some cracks in masonry C. Waves on ponds; water turbid with mud. Small slides and caving in along sand or gravel banks. Large bells ring. Concrete irrigation ditches damaged. |
|
8 (VII) |
6 to 7 |
Steering of motor cars affected. Damage to masonry C; partial collapse. Some damage to masonry B; none to masonry A. Fall of stucco and some masonry walls. Twisting, fall of chimneys, factory stacks, monuments, towers, elevated tanks. Frame houses moved on foundations if not bolted down; loose panel walls thrown out. Decayed piling broken off. Branches broken from trees. Changes in flow or temperature of springs and wells. Cracks in wet ground and on steep slopes. |
|
9 (IX) |
7 |
General panic. Masonry D destroyed; masonry C heavily damaged, sometimes with complete collapse; masonry B seriously damaged. (General damage to foundations.) Frame structures, if not bolted, shifted off foundations. Frames racked. Serious damage to reservoirs. Underground pipes broken. Conspicuous cracks in ground. In alluvial areas sand and mud ejected, earthquake fountains, sand craters. |
|
10 (X) |
7 to 8 |
Most masonry and frame structures destroyed with their foundations. Some well-built wooden structures and bridges destroyed. Serious damage to dams, dikes, embankments. Large landslides. Water thrown on banks of canals, rivers, lakes, etc. Sand and mud shifted horizontally on beaches and flat land. Rails bent slightly. |
|
11 (XI) |
8 |
Rails bent greatly. Underground pipelines completely out of service. |
|
12 (XII) |
8 or greater |
Damage nearly total. Large rock masses displaced. Lines of sight and level distorted. Objects thrown into the air. |
Masonry
Definitions:
Masonry A: Good workmanship, mortar, and
design; reinforced, especially laterally, and bound together by using steel, concrete,
etc.; designed to resist lateral forces.
Masonry B: Good workmanship and mortar; reinforced, but not
designed in detail to resist lateral forces.
Masonry C: Ordinary workmanship and mortar; no extreme weaknesses
like failing to tie in at corners, but neither reinforced nor designed against
horizontal forces.
Masonry D: Weak materials, such as adobe; poor mortar; low
standards of workmanship; weak horizontally.
Full descriptions are from: Richter, C.F., 1958. Elementary Seismology. W.H. Freeman and
Company,
Availability: Entire
US; 50 States and
This
report will provide the RMS Average Annual Loss (AAL), RMS Probable Maximum
Loss (PML), or both for a location based upon the key physical characteristics
of the building. The average annual loss is the estimated value of
claims that will be paid per year, based upon the long-term average.
This calculation is ideal to use as a factor for pricing policies in catastrophe
prone areas. This is also known as the average annual damage (AAD).
The probable maximum loss is the largest estimated loss that will be encountered
for a given return period. The return period can be set to 100, 250
or 500 years. This calculation is ideal to use when calculating the
amount of insurance to purchase or when determining the effects on capacity.
This is also known as the probable maximum damage (PMD), as financial modeling
isn’t being done. Both are gross losses (also known as ground up losses),
as they don’t take in to account things like deductibles, limits, etc. These
calculations are based upon RMS’ probabilistic catastrophe models.
Input
Fields: YearBuilt, Number of Stories, Structure Type, Occupancy,
Model Type/Peril, Model Results, Return Period, Building Value, Contents
Value, Business Interruption Value and Loss Type.
**These
fields must be filled in as accurately as possible in order to receive an
accurate Average Annual Loss estimate! These inputs do have a significant
impact on the modeled values. Leaving these values blank may result
in higher or lower than expected loss estimates.**
Year Built – Year originally built or substantially
retrofitted
Number of Stories - Total number of stories
in the building
Structure Type - See detailed descriptions below
Occupancy - See detailed descriptions below
Model Type/Peril – Defines which analysis
should be run. There are 6 different choices
Model Results - Choose whether to return Average Annual
Loss, Probable Maximum Loss, or both.
Return Period - Choose 100, 250 or 500 years
Building
Value
– Value of the building
Contents
Value
– Value of the contents
Business
Interruption Value
– Business Interruption Limits
Loss Type – Enter separate values for building, contents
and time. These items have separate
loss curves.
Important Note: If the RMS Modeling is
run concurrently with a RMS Score or RMS Profile, not all Structure Type
and Occupancy Codes are shown. If you need to access all of the possible
codes, run the RMS Modeling separately.
Perils: Earthquake Analysis
Earthquake Analysis with Sprinkler Leakage
Hurricane Analysis
Hurricane Analysis with Storm Surge
Convective Storm Analysis (Tornado, Hail and Convective winds)
Winter Storm Analysis
Loss Types: Property
Contents
Business
Interruption (Time)
Returned
Values:
Upon
submitting the request, the RiskMeter output page
will be returned. The input fields, and other
reports will be returned instantly. However, modeled values
will take around one minute to be calculated. Therefore, you
must wait and pick up the results when the analysis is complete. On
the output screen, there is a list box with all of the locations that have
been submitted. The right most column of the listbox
shows the status of each request. When finished, this field will change
to complete, at which time you can click on the resultID
to retrieve the results. This list box will refresh itself every five seconds.
Note: These results will be removed after 5 days. If you want to print or save these results, please do so during this time period.
Returned
Fields:
At
the top of the report is a section entitled “Location.” All of the input fields
are shown in this section of the report. Depending upon your request,
the system will return the AAL, PML or both. The following fields
are returned:
PML: This is
the Probable Maximum Loss for the selected return period
Return Period: This is the return period in
years
Return Period Description: This is a description
of the return period
EP Type: Exceedance probability (EP) curve type. There are two types of
curves, occurrence exceedance probability (OEP)
and aggregate exceedance
probability (AEP) Type
of curve
LossName: This will say ground up
loss, which means that deductibles are not taken into account
Loss: This is the Probable Maximum Loss (PML) in
Percent: This is a placeholder, but will eventually show
the percent of loss
AAL: This is the Average Annual Loss in
Availability:
EQ Ground Shaking, EQ Ground
Shaking with Sprinkler Leakage – All 50 states
Hurricane Wind/Hurricane
Wind with Surge -
AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, LA, MA, MD, ME, MS,
NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, TX, VA, VT, WV
Winter Storm – Lower 48
contiguous states
Convective
Storm - Lower 48 contiguous states
Special
Features/Options:
RMS has default values for the input values. If you leave these blank,
the default values will be used, and ** will appear after the values.
Additionally, CDS can set the defaults for each field to any specification
you would like. If the system uses default values set for your account,
an * will be displayed after this value. Also, for the occupancy and
structure type, there is a value of {Don’t Know – Use Default }. This
should only be used when the values are unknown, and these values should
be used, rather than just accepting the default.
| Structure Type Descriptions |
||||
| Class |
Name |
Description |
||
| 0 |
Unknown |
|
||
| 1 |
WOOD |
|
||
| 1A |
LIGHT WOOD FRAME |
|||
| 1A1 |
Light Wood Stud Walls |
Buildings with walls constructed of 2x4” or 2x6” wood studs spaced
at 16” covered on the outside with plywood, lap siding, or stucco
and on the inside with gypsum board or lath and plaster. Floors are
constructed of 2x8” - 2x12” wood joists covered with plywood, and
roofs are constructed of 2x6” joists covered by plywood or spaced
boards and shingles. Gravity loads are carried by the walls in shear
and lateral earthquake forces are resisted by the walls in shear.
This is a very common form of residential construction throughout
the |
||
| 1A2 |
Light Wood Post & Beam |
Buildings having walls constructed of 4x4” or 6x6” wood posts,
with similar size beams at the ceiling level spanning the 6 to 12
foot spacing between the posts. This was the primary type of construction
for one- to three-story buildings in |
||
| 1B |
HEAVY TIMBER |
|
||
| 1B1 |
Heavy Timber Frame |
Buildings constructed with large vertical members (posts or columns),
typically 8x8” or larger, that are capable of supporting heavy industrial
or warehouse loads and with large horizontal members that are capable
of supporting heavy loads over long spans. Gravity forces are carried
by the posts or columns, and lateral earthquake forces are typically
resisted either by shear in walls or by knee-wall bracing (partial
height diagonal bracing). Pole construction, in which large poles
are installed in holes drilled into the ground and extend to the desired
one-, two-, or three-story building height, is one form of heavy timber
construction. In pole construction, lateral earthquake resistance
is established from the embedment of the pole into the ground. |
||
| 1B2 |
Heavy Timber Frame with Unreinforced Masonry Infill |
Buildings with large vertical and horizontal members, similar in
size to those in Construction Class 1B1, but with masonry infill providing
the lateral earthquake force resistance. This type of construction
is very popular in the |
||
| 2 |
MASONRY |
|||
| 2A |
WEAK MASONRY |
|||
| 2A1 |
Rubble Stone Masonry |
Buildings having walls constructed using uncut stone masonry units,
and likely using a weak mortar. Floors typically have wood joists
covered with boards. The roof is also made up with wood joists, and
covered with a water shedding material. Older buildings may have a
heavy earthen material roof, while newer buildings of this type may
have light corrugated metal sheeting. Weak mortar is material that
is not stable in water, as opposed to Portland Cement mortar which
is stable in water. Thus, while the stone masonry units will retain
their strength over time, the strength of the mortar will degrade
over time. Gravity loads are carried by the walls in compression,
and lateral earthquake forces are resisted by the walls in shear.
Although this type of construction is still being used throughout
the world, it has not been very common since the beginning of the
20th Century. |
||
| 2A2 |
Adobe |
Buildings having walls constructed of adobe masonry units and likely
using a weak mortar. Floors are typically wood joists covered with
boards. The roof is also made up with wood joists, and covered with
a water shedding material. Older buildings may have a heavy earthen
material roof, while newer buildings of this type are likely to have
heavy clay tile. Adobe unit masonry blocks are typically sun dried,
therefore they are not stable in water. Thus, both the adobe blocks
and the mortar are subject to strength deterioration with time. Gravity
loads are resisted by the walls in compression, and lateral earthquake
forces are resisted by the walls in shear. This type of construction
was very popular in the southwest |
||
| 2B |
UNREINFORCED MASONRY |
|||
| 2B1 |
Unreinforced Cut Stone Masonry |
Buildings having walls constructed of cut stone masonry units stacked
together with mortar. Floors are typically wood joists covered with
boards. The roof is also made up with wood joists, and covered with
a water shedding material. Older buildings may have a heavy earthen
material roof, while newer buildings of this type are likely to have
heavy clay tile. This type of construction was common for large institutional
buildings in the 19th century and early 20th century, and usually
has a large footprint. Gravity loads are carried by the walls in compression,
and lateral earthquake forces are resisted by the walls in shear.
This type of construction is still used today throughout the world,
but mostly only for its esthetic value. The mortar in older buildings
is likely to be weak (non-Portland Cement type) while newer buildings
are likely to be constructed using strong and durable Portland Cement
mortar. |
||
| 2B2 |
Unreinforced Solid Brick Masonry |
Buildings having walls constructed of solid brick masonry units
stacked together with mortar. Floors are typically wood joists covered
with boards or plywood sheeting. The roof is also made up with wood
joists, and covered with a water shedding material. Roof surface covering
for this type of building includes a variety of materials such as
wood shingles, asbestos shingles, and clay tile. Gravity loads are
carried by the walls in compression, and lateral earthquake forces
are resisted by the walls in shear. This is, and for several centuries
has been, a very common form of construction for all types of occupancies
worldwide. Earthquake astute parts of the world, however, have abandoned
this type of construction. For example, unreinforced masonry construction
has not been permitted in |
||
| 2B3 |
Unreinforced Concrete Block Masonry |
Buildings having the same characteristics as those for Construction
Class 2B2 except that the masonry units are concrete block. Because
concrete block has been in use only since about the 1920s, buildings
of this type are likely to be newer than brick buildings. This is
a very common form of construction in the |
||
| 2C |
STRUCTURAL MASONRY |
|||
| 2C1 |
Reinforced Masonry |
Buildings having walls constructed of masonry units stacked together
with mortar, and include steel reinforcing. A variety of masonry units
are used for constructing buildings of this type such as solid brick,
hollow clay tile, concrete block and cut stone. Hollow masonry units
are reinforced by inserting reinforcing steel in the cells and then
filling the cells with grout. Solid masonry units are reinforced by
creating a sandwich having masonry units on the outer and inner surface,
with a reinforced concrete layer between them. Floors are typically
wood joists covered with boards or plywood sheeting. The roof is made
up with wood joists, and covered with a water shedding material. Roof
surface coverings for this type of building include a variety of materials
such as wood shingles, asbestos shingles, and clay tile. Gravity loads
are carried by the walls in compression, and lateral earthquake forces
are resisted by the walls in shear. |
||
| 2C2 |
Confined Masonry |
Buildings having walls constructed with a combination of grouted
masonry units and reinforced concrete beams and columns. In constructing
confined masonry, masonry wall segments are erected first, and then
reinforced concrete columns and beams are cast around the wall segments,
thus confining the walls. The walls may have staggered brick ends
that protrude into adjacent columns for better bonding. Confinement
refers to the walls themselves, not their reinforcement. This method
of construction is distinctly different from reinforced concrete frame
with unreinforced masonry infill where the walls are constructed after
the frame is built. Floors are constructed of either wood or reinforced
concrete, and the roof is typically wood joist covered with shingles
or tile. Gravity loads are resisted by the walls in compression and
lateral earthquake forces are resisted by the walls in shear. This
type of construction is not used in the |
||
| 3 |
REINFORCED CONCRETE |
|||
| 3A |
Cast-in-place Reinforced Concrete WITH CONCRETE ROOF DECK |
|||
| 3A1 |
Reinforced Concrete Moment Resisting Frame (RCMRF) |
Buildings having reinforced concrete columns, beams, and floor
and roof slabs. All of the components are cast-in-place. Gravity loads
are carried by the columns, and lateral earthquake forces are resisted
by the rigid moment-resisting frame that is created at the intersection
of the beams and columns. This is a very popular form of construction
for all types of occupancies worldwide. |
||
| 3A2 |
RCMRF with Shear Walls |
Buildings having the same type of column, beam, floor slab and
roof slab components as those described for Construction Class 3A1,
but include reinforced concrete shear walls. Gravity loads are carried
by the columns (and perhaps the shear walls), and lateral earthquake
forces are resisted by both the rigid moment-resisting frame action
created at the beam-column joints and by the shear walls. This is
sometimes referred to as a dual system because lateral forces are
resisted by both the frame and the shear walls. |
||
| 3A3 |
RCMRF with Unreinforced Masonry Infill |
Buildings having the same type of column, beam, floor slab and
roof slab components as those described for Construction Class 3A1,
but include unreinforced masonry infill walls. Gravity loads are carried
by the columns and lateral earthquake forces are resisted by both
the rigid moment-resisting frame action created at the beam-column
joints. The unreinforced masonry infill walls are included only for
the purpose of enclosing space. This is a very common form of construction
worldwide. |
||
| 3A4 |
Reinforced Concrete Shear Wall |
Buildings constructed of reinforced concrete shear walls and floor
and roof slabs. A pure shear wall building does not require columns
or beams for stability. However, shear wall buildings typically include
columns, certainly in the interior to carry gravity loads, and sometimes
on the exterior as well. Gravity loads are carried by the shear walls
and columns, and lateral earthquake forces are resisted by the shear
walls. This type of construction is common throughout the world, and
is very prevalent in |
||
| 3A5 |
Waffle or Flat Slab |
Buildings constructed with reinforced concrete columns and waffle
slabs or flat slabs. The important distinction for this type of building
is that beams are not evident. From the underside of a waffle slab,
they look exactly like waffles. From the underside of a flat slab,
they look simply flat. Gravity loads are carried by the columns, and
earthquake lateral forces are resisted by the rigid moment-resisting
frame action created at the intersection of the columns and slabs.
Waffle slabs were very popular throughout the world in the mid 1900s,
but their demonstrated poor performance during earthquakes has diminished
their use. Flat slabs have been common worldwide throughout the 20th
Century, but these are no longer used in earthquake astute parts of
the world. |
||
| 3A6 |
Steel & Reinforced Concrete (SRC) Composite Frame |
Buildings constructed using a combination of steel shapes (I or
Wide-Flange sections) that are encased in concrete to form the composite
column and beam elements of the frame. Gravity loads are carried by
columns, and lateral earthquake forces are resisted by the rigid-moment
action of the frame. SRC buildings are popular in |
||
| 3A10 |
Reinforced Concrete Frame with Wood Frame in the Upper Floors |
See ATC Construction Class 80 |
||
| 3B |
Precast Reinforced Concrete WITH CONCRETE ROOF DECK |
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| 3B1 |
Precast Moment Resisting Frame |
Buildings having reinforced concrete frame components (beams and columns) that are casted and brought to the site for assembly. Floor and roof elements are also typically made up from precast reinforced concrete components. In constructing these buildings, the precast beam and column elements, with protruding reinforcing steel, are temporarily braced in final position leaving about a one foot gap between the beam and column components. The reinforcing steel protruding from the ends of the beams and columns are attached to adjacent beam and column components using either welding or mechanical reinforcement connectors. Finally, the one foot gap between the beam and column components is filled with concrete. The floor and roof elements are attached to the frame similarly. Gravity loads are resisted by the columns, and lateral earthquake forces are resisted by the rigid moment action of the frame that is created. | ||