Computer facilities have become extremely important in the function of a modern society. An interruption of their function can result in serious hardship and far-reaching economic and even national security consequences. Natural hazards such as earthquakes may damage computer facilities if mitigative measures are not taken; hence, there is a need to investigate the prior experience of earthquake damage to and the current seismic resistant design for computer facilities. This research project uses historical information gathered in the U.S. and Japan to: assess and evaluate earthquake damage experience to computer facilities; evaluate (based on damage data and those not damaged) various U.S. and Japanese design practices; prepare a commentary which includes relative merits, disadvantages, and cost of different approaches and design; and develop technical recommendation for developing practical mitigative design procedures for both new and existing computer facilities. The results of this research project will also be applicable to the seismic design of other sensitive elective operations.
