The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, National Institute of Building Sciences, National Building Museum, and the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative will host a free, interactive Resilient Buildings Workshop this fall to promote the importance of creating and maintaining resilient, high performance structures.  

The workshop will take place Thurs., Oct. 18, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT, at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

The workshop is a joint effort between the public and private sectors of the building/construction industry, designed to educate building professionals on the vital role of resilient, high performance structures in achieving sustainable communities.  Several of the most knowledgeable professionals in the field of structural resilience and sustainability will present at this interactive workshop.

Topics of these presentations will include:

· Cutting-edge tools and resources available to help achieve high performance and resilience, including the Integrated Rapid Visual Screening for Buildings tool and the Owner Project Performance Requirements tool
· Building materials as they relate to high performance building enclosures
· Resilience as a critical component in sustainable design
· Assessing a building’s capability to withstand natural and man-made hazard events
· High performance design and the role of Life Cycle Assessments
· The role of building codes and standards in achieving resilient building enclosures and structures

Speakers will include:

· Blaine Brownell, Professor of Sustainable Design, University of Minnesota
· Mohammed Ettouney, Principal, Weidlinger Associates
· Roger Grant, Program Director, National Institute of Building Sciences
· Henry Green, President, National Institute of Building Sciences
· Earle Kennett, Chief Operating Officer, National Institute of Building Sciences
· Mila Kennett, Program Manager, Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate
· Lionel Lemay, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Development, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
· Terry Ryan, Program Manager, Raytheon UTD
· John Sullivan, President & Consultant, JJSFIM Consulting

In addition to presentations from the nation’s top experts in the field, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in an interactive breakout session on the workshop topics.

“Natural and manmade hazards are constant threats to our communities and infrastructure systems in the U.S., and these issues facing our built environment have led the research community to look at the use of alternative materials to increase resilience and durability in our structures,” said Mila Kennett, Science and Technology Program Manager for the Department of Homeland Security. “This workshop will introduce and help communicate and promote the adoption of new, advanced, high performance standards, materials, and technologies that have been developed by the building industry and research institutions.”

Sponsoring the workshop is the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative (Concrete JSI), which is currently leading the efforts in the concrete industry to promote the creation and maintenance of more resilient and durable communities.  It comprises 28 national and international concrete-related organizations committed to working together with the goal of educating themselves, their members, and their customers about the role and responsibilities of concrete in sustainable development.

For additional information about the workshop, please visit http://www.sustainableconcrete.org/?q=node/256.

Updates for this event can be found by following @ConcreteJSIor #ResilientBuildings on Twitter.