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181 Fremont first to earn new earthquake-resilience rating

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Rebecca Maloney Rebecca Maloney Americas Press Office ,Boston
5 October 2016

181 Fremont in San Francisco has achieved a REDi Gold Rating, which will make it the most resilient tall building on the West Coast of the United States.

The 56-story mixed-use tower is being constructed in compliance with a new set of holistic design and planning guidelines: the Resilience-based Earthquake Design Initiative (REDi Rating System). Developed by Arup and a diverse group of external collaborators, REDi establishes a new benchmark for seismic construction — far exceeding current code criteria — that focuses on quick recovery and continued operations in the aftermath of an earthquake.

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We sought to develop a blueprint for designers and owners who wanted to achieve higher resilience targets, with the ultimate intention to promote community resilience. This aligns with Arup’s mission to shape a better world. ” Ibbi Almufti Ibbi Almufti Principal

For 181 Fremont, Arup served as the structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, and resilience consultant on the project, shepherding the design team through the resilience-based design process. The owners and designers pursued a REDi Gold Rating which included enhanced structural and non-structural design to limit damage, improve egress systems and contingency plans, and reduce post-earthquake recovery times to keep their space earthquake ready.

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Projects like this are great to show the value in thinking about what it means for buildings to have their own post-disaster continuity in place, which helps expedite and contribute to a speedy recovery for the larger city. ” Patrick Otellini Chief Resilience Officer for the City and County of San Francisco