Stone Security Engineering is pleased to announce publication of a field reference guide for vertical shoring, lateral shoring, and rapid strengthening and/or repair of damaged building components.  This is an exciting project that provides detailed information for first responders and the engineers that support them.  The intended audiences of the guide include:

• First Responders:   Local agencies responding to initial/everyday incidents.    Engine companies, truck companies, police, etc.
• Special Operations and Technical Rescue Teams:  Department based units, companies or teams that have more specialized training and equipment than the First Responders.
• County and Regional Response Teams:  County and regional based teams with specialized training and equipment.
• State & National Response Teams (FEMA US&R and SUS&R teams):  Highly trained, advanced equipment.
• Disaster Engineers:  Trained engineers who may respond as a component of any of the above categories.

The guide refines and expands on the information provided in the existing US&R Structures Specialist Field Operations Guide (FOG) and includes a primer on what it means to stabilize a building in a post-disaster environment.

• Structural Hazards
• Risk Management
• Hazard identification, assessment and mitigation

It also includes detailed information on the current FEMA developed built-in-place shoring systems, newly designed and tested built-in-place shoring systems, the results of the most recent testing of built-in-place shoring systems, and a system by system discussion of the relevant characteristics of Manufactured Shoring and Repair and Strengthening techniques  that may be able to be adapted to rescue operations.

This document was produced under contract from the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Management Division through URS Corporation.  The authors included our own Hollice Stone, Dr Michael Barker, David Hammond, and John O’Connell.   All the authors have spent years in the FEMA and US Army Corps of Engineers Urban Search and Rescue programs.