The Resilient Buildings Project 

Charlotte Brown, Shannon Abeling, Hugh Cowan and Helen Ferner 

What do we expect of our buildings in earthquakes? This plenary session will report the results of interviews and focus groups held last year and released recently through the Resilient Buildings Project. The session is an opportunity to share a snapshot of societal expectations and tolerance toward seismic risk to inform future performance objectives for new buildings. Life safety, social and economic recovery and environmental impacts are all prominent themes explored in the study which highlighted diverse risk appetites among respondents including contrasts between metropolitan and rural communities. The plenary session is the first such release of the findings and offers participants a chance to contribute to this important national conversation on seismic risk and managing its impacts within tolerable limits.