Multidisciplinary Assessment of Critical Facility Response to Natural Disasters : The Case of Hurricane Katrina

Sponsored by the Task Committee for the Study of the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina of the Architectural Engineering Institute of ASCE. This report assesses the performance of essential buildings in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina. Essential buildings are expected to be minimally damaged and remain operational during extreme events. Yet of five facilities inspected, only one performed successfully as a storm shelter during Hurricane Katrina. What happened? This report presents the findings of a team from ASCE's Architectural Engineering Institute whose members examined five facilities in New Orleans on a single day in December 2005. Topics include: Mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems Building envelopes Structural systems Fire protection and life safety systems Communication systems The final chapter presents a new approach to multidisciplinary risk assessment and encourages investigators conducting building evaluations in the aftermath of catastrophic events to adopt and build upon this methodology.