Unreinforced Masonry Buildings - Background
Background
Background on URM Program Development
- URM Building Owners Infographic
- Commercial tenants in a URM building infographic
- Residential tenants in a URM building infographic
Identifying URMs
- Identifying URM Buildings
- URM Identification Survey & Methodology (2012)
- URM List Validation- Report to Policy Committee (2016)
Statewide URM Identification
Guiding legislation
- 2021 Seattle Existing Building Code, adopted November 15, 2024; Defines minimum standards for URM buildings to be recognized as “Retrofitted” in the City’s URM database and codifies the Alternate Method for the Seismic Improvement of URMs.
- Joint Resolution 32111
- Passed in 2023; Guides voluntary URM retrofits using a reduced retrofit standard.
- Legacy: Director’s Rule 6-2023 allowed use of the Draft URM Retrofit Standard in advance of the adoption of the 2021 Seattle Existing Building Code.
- Joint Resolution 32033
- Passed in 2021; Directs the development of a mandatory seismic retrofit program for URMs in Seattle.
- Resilient Washington: Final Report and Recommendations (2012)
Related News - Building Connections Articles
- 2024
- 2023
- December: Seattle URMs- 2023 in Review
- October: Major Milestone in URM Earthquake Retrofits
- July: Fixing the Bricks: Director’s Rule Proposes Alternate Method for Retrofit of URM Buildings
- June: Fixing the Bricks: Upcoming Presentations of Proposed Minimum Seismic Standards for URM Buildings
- February: Building Momentum to Fix the Bricks- Working Groups Established to Support Mandatory URM Retrofit Ordinance
URM Briefings to City Council and Committees
- 2024
- August 7, 2024 Land Use Committee Briefing
- May 15, 2024 Land Use Committee Briefing
- 2023
- September 26, 2023 Public Safety and Human Services Committee
- April 11, 2023 Public Safety and Human Services Committee
- 2022
- December 12, 2022 Public Safety and Human Services Committee
Seattle Channel
URM Retrofit Technical Standard Development
Below are links to policy recommendation documents regarding the development of a minimum retrofit standard for URM buildings. Current information on the URM Retrofit Technical Standard is in the above “Guiding Legislation” section and on the Projects Documents page.
URM Policy Development
- Case Studies in Financing URM Retrofits, a PPT shared at the 2024 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Annual Meeting. Presented in partnership with the WA Dept. of Archaeology and Preservation (DAHP), GLY Construction, Studio TJP, and Coughlin Porter Lundeen.
- Funding URM Retrofits, a Report by Grow America/ National Development Council (2019)
- URM Policy Committee Recommendations (2017)
- Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) URM Case Study Report and Appendix (2016)
- Also available in Chinese
- Summary PowerPoint Presentation (2016)
- Columbia City Outreach Pilot Project, FEMA Funded (2013)
- February 27, 2024: Agenda | Slides, TDR Listening Session (In-Person)
- September 20, 2023: Slides | Summary, Transfer of Development Rights for URMs
- May 2, 2023: Slides | Summary, Transfer of Development Rights for URMs
- April 11, 2023: Slides | Summary, Transfer of Development Rights for URMs
- March 25, 2023: Agenda | Slides, Review of FEMA grant requirements
- February 28, 2023: Slides | Summary, Meeting 1