Structures and Natural Hazards

A unique collection of scientists across engineering, earth and atmospheric sciences provide comprehensive and practical answers and loss prevention solutions to challenges posed by severity, frequency and impact of hazards that affect businesses worldwide.

  • Geological sciences team studies the hazards and effects of earthquakes and initiating events for tsunamis. We lead through active sponsorship contributions to the Global Earthquake Model.
  • Meteorological sciences researchers address the challenges of wind storms, climate change, severe weather and other atmospheric hazards.
  • Hydrological sciences research includes studies of flood hazards through unique and innovative mapping and modeling techniques. This team developed our Global Flood Map.
  • Structural mechanics team covers response and damage of structural systems, non-structural components, contents and equipment

Structural Mechanics Research

Why not use a scientific approach, have the right expertise and modeling tools, to simulate your facility response and use the results to make the structure more resilient rather than wait for a disaster to strike and surprise you with intolerable damage and losses? If you know how to mitigate and prevent damage to your properties against disasters, you will become prepared and will reduce the risks you face.

Structural mechanics team covers response and damage of structural systems, non-structural components, contents and equipment to natural hazards, fire and other severe conditions.

Disasters strike, but you can be ahead.

Our Structural Mechanics research helps develop evaluation and design standards, damage preventive and risk management solutions and data sheets, and testing methods to certify building structural and nonstructural components as FM APPROVED.   

Earthquake Research

Where will you be when the big one hits? You can’t tell when an earthquake will strike, but you can get informed and get prepared. Earthquake loss is preventable, not inevitable. Let us help you take the steps to mitigate it.

With our earthquake risk zone maps, we’ll help you gain a deeper understanding of your earthquake risk at all your locations. Our research on earthquake sources, tsunamis, and ground shaking ensures you will have the latest information on geologic hazards. You’ll be prepared, and can recover quickly when an earthquake happens.

Data Sheets show you how to anchor or brace equipment and storage racks to avoid losses. Earthquakes can happen anytime, but you can be a step ahead.

Flood Research

You can’t control a country’s weather or flood risk, but you might be able to outsmart it. Think of flood loss as preventable, not inevitable. And let us help you take the steps to understand and mitigate it.

Everyone worries about flood risk, but we offer you something better than a contingency plan. We’ll help you gain a deeper understanding of your flood risk at all your locations. With research data about terrain, rainfall intensity, stream flows and river networks, you’ll be prepared for flooding, and can recover quickly if it happens.

New tools and models give you insights even in parts of the world where flood data may be inconsistent or incomplete, as in many areas of Europe, or even unavailable, as in large parts of Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Floods may be on the rise, but you can be a step ahead.

Meteorological Sciences Research

Mother nature produces natural disasters. We combine data, physics and experience to understand and quantify the threat of natural disasters caused by extreme weather/climate events such as tropical cyclones, tornadoes and hails, winter storms, coastal storm surges.

From developing world wide wind maps, to evaluating coastal storm surge hazards, to assessing wind loads, to discerning climate change and its potential impacts on extreme weather events, we balance the practical with the theoretical.

Producing hazard maps and vulnerability functions are the necessary steps leading to scientifically based, technical sound and cost effective property loss prevention solutions for our clients.