Standardization News

ASTM C16 Chairman Paul A. Hough and Other Specialists Speak on Seismic Issues

ASTM member Paul Hough speaks at the Alliance FiiDEM seminar in Mexico City, Mexico, on March 5.

ASTM member Paul A. Hough, Armstrong World Industries, Lancaster, Pa., spoke at a seminar on Evaluation Criteria and Behavior of Content and Nonstructural Elements in Buildings During an Earthquake held in Mexico City, Mexico, on March 5. The seminar was organized by the Alliance for Training and Research Infrastructure for the Development of Mexico (Alliance FiiDEM) in conjunction with ASTM International, with support from the Mexican Society of Structural Engineering and the Mexican Society of Seismic Engineering.

Hough, chairman of ASTM International Committee C16 on Thermal Insulation, gave three presentations at the seminar. The first was a general introduction to ASTM. In his second talk, Hough discussed seismic risk assessment of buildings, focusing on E2026, Guide for Seismic Risk Assessment of Buildings, and E2557, Practice for Probable Maximum Loss (PML) Evaluations for Earthquake Due-Diligence Assessments. Finally, Hough presented on installation of ceilings and other nonstructural components in severe seismic areas.

Hough was one of 11 specialists who discussed issues related to seismic activity and construction, with an emphasis on damage that occurs inside buildings during an earthquake. The seminar was attended by 137 people (including 40 students) representing companies, government agencies, nongovernment organizations and four colleges.