FEMA

Risk Management Series

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation of Hotel 

and Motel Buildings

FEMA 400 / April 2005


Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or 

recommendations expressed in this publication 

do not necessarily reflect the views of FEMA. 

Additionally, neither FEMA or any of its 

employees makes any warrantee, expressed 

or implied, or assumes any legal liability or 

responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, 

or usefulness of any information, product, or 

process included in this publication. Users of 

information from this publication assume all 

liability arising from such use. 
Acknowledgements

Principal Authors:

Frederick Krimgold, Virginia Tech Center for Disaster 

Risk Management, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and 

State University

David Hattis, Building Technology Incorporated

Melvyn Green, Melvyn Green & Associates Inc.

Contributors:

Milagros Kennett, FEMA, Project Officer, 

Risk Management Series Publications 

John Harrald, GWU 

Charles Scawthorn, ABS Consulting

Medhi Setareh, VT

Rene Van Dorp, GWU

William Whiddon, BTI

Project Advisory Panel:

Daniel Abrams, University of Illinois

Daniel Butler, National Retail Federation

John Coil, John Coil Associates

Joseph Donovan, Carr America

James Harris, National Multi Housing Council

Randal Haslam, Jordan School District, Utah

James Malley, Degenkolb Engineers

Mike Mehrain, URS Dames & Moore

Anthony Moddesette, UC Davis Medical Center

Lawrence Reaveley, University of Utah

Technical Review:

Chris Poland, Degenkolb Engineers

Daniel Shapiro, SOHA Engineers

Production:

Lee-Ann Lyons and Amy Siegel, URS Group, Inc.

Contents

Contents

Foreword and Scope .........................................................................................i

How to Use This Manual .................................................................................iv

Part A Critical Decisions for Earthquake Safety in Hotel and

 Motel Buildings ............................................................................ A-1

Introduction ..................................................................................... A-1

A.1 Is There an Earthquake Hazard for Your Hotel and Motel 

Buildings? ................................................................................ A-2

A.2 Are Your Hotel and Motel Buildings Safe? ................................ A-4

A.3 What Can Be Done to Reduce Earthquake Risk in Existing 

Vulnerable Hotel and Motel Buildings? .................................... A-6

A.4 Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Hotel

 and Motel Buildings ................................................................ A-7

Summary of Part A ........................................................................... A-9

Recommended Actions ..................................................................... A-9

Part B Planning and Managing the Process for Earthquake 

 Risk Reduction in Existing Hotel and Motel Buildings ........... B-1

Introduction ..................................................................................... B-1

B.1 Integrating the Efforts of Facility Management, Risk 

Management, and Financial Management of Owners and 

Operators ................................................................................. B-2

B.2 Integrating Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation into the 

 Facility Management Process ................................................... B-3

B.2.1 A Model of the Facility Management Process for 

 Existing Hotel and Motel Buildings .............................. B-3

B.2.2 Elements of an Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation 

Program ....................................................................... B-4

B.2.3 Integration into the Hotel and Motel Facility

 Management Process ................................................ B-11
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B.3 Opportunities for Seismic Risk Reduction in Support of 

Integrating Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation into the 

 Facility Management Process ................................................. B-12

B.3.1 Responding to Occupant Concerns ........................... B-13

B.3.2 Emergency Management/Response Planning ............ B-13

B.3.3 Emergency Management/Mitigation Planning ........... B-13

B.3.4 Developing a Risk Reduction Policy ........................... B-14

B.3.5 Incorporating Federal and State Mandates

 and Programs ............................................................ B-14

B.3.6 Coordinating with Risk and Insurance Managers ....... B-14

B.3.7 Coordinating with Lenders ........................................ B-14

B.3.8 Becoming Familiar with Applicable Codes ................. B-15

B.3.9 Establishing and Maintaining a Roster of Design 

Professionals ............................................................. B-15

B.3.10 Negotiating Code Enforcement ................................. B-15

B.4 Additional Components of a Comprehensive 

 Earthquake Safety Program ................................................... B-15

B.4.1 Building Contents Mitigation ..................................... B-15

B.4.2 Earthquake Drills ....................................................... B-16

B.5 Preparing a Plan for the CEO and the Board .......................... B-16

Summary of Part B ......................................................................... B-17

Recommended Actions ................................................................... B-17

Part C Tools for Implementing Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation 

 in Existing Hotel and Motel Buildings ...................................... C-1

Introduction ..................................................................................... C-1

Guide to Sections C.1 and C.2 .......................................................... C-1

C.1 How to Use Engineering Services ........................................... C-2

Seismic Screening and Evaluation ........................................... C-2

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Planning and Design ........ C-3

Construction Period Support .................................................... C-3

Continuity of Building Documentation ..................................... C-3

Fees for Professional Services .................................................. C-4

C.2 Discovering Integration Opportunities for Incremental 

 Seismic Rehabilitation .............................................................. C-4

Categories of Maintenance and Capital Improvement

Projects.................................................................................... C-4

Work Descriptions and Matrices of Seismic Performance

Improvement Opportunities ..................................................... C-5

Definitions of Seismic Performance Improvements .................. C-7

C.2.1 Roofing Maintenance and Repair/Re-roofing ............... C-8

C.2.2 Exterior Wall and Window Maintenance/Façade 

Modernization .......................................................... C-10

C.2.3 Fire and Life Safety Improvements ............................ C-12

C.2.4 Public and Service Area Modernization ..................... C-14
Contents

C.2.5 Underfloor and Basement Maintenance

 and Repair ................................................................. C-16

C.2.6 HVAC Upgrade and Energy Conservation/Indoor

 Air Quality Improvement ........................................... C-18

C.2.7 Hazardous Materials Abatement ............................... C-19

C.2.8 Guestroom Finishing, Furniture, and Equipment

 (FF&E) ....................................................................... C-20

C.2.9 Public Area Finishing, Furniture, and Equipment

 (FF&E) ....................................................................... C-20

C.2.10 Definitions of Seismic Performance Improvements ... C-22

Summary of Part C ......................................................................... C-26

Recommended Actions ................................................................... C-26

Appendix I. Additional Information on Hotel and Motel Building

Facility Management ...................................................... App I-1

Introduction: Typical Facility Management for Hotel and

 Motel Buildings ............................................................... App I-1

1. The ACQUISITION Phase of Hotel and Motel Facility

 Management .................................................................... App I-2

2. The CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT Phase of Hotel and

 Motel Facility Management .............................................. App I-5

3. The REDEVELOPMENT Phase of Hotel and Motel Facility 

Management .................................................................... App I-7

4. The Current Building USE Phase of Hotel and Motel

 Facility Management ........................................................ App I-8

5. The PLANNING Phase of Hotel and Motel Facility

 Management .................................................................. App I-10

6. The Maintenance & Rehabilitation BUDGETING Phase

 of Hotel and Motel Facility Management ........................ App I-13

7. The Maintenance & Rehabilitation FUNDING Phase of 

 Hotel and Motel Facility Management ............................ App I-15

8. The Maintenance & Rehabilitation IMPLEMENTATION

 Phase of Hotel and Motel Facility Management ............. App I-16

Appendix II. Integration Opportunities for Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation for Small Organizations and

Individual Owners .......................................................... App II-1

i

Foreword and Scope

Foreword and Scope

Earthquakes are a serious threat to safety in hotel 

and motel buildings and pose a significant potential 

liability to owners and operators. Hotel and motel 

buildings in 39 states are vulnerable to earthquake 

damage. Unsafe existing buildings expose hotel and 

motel building owners, operators, and guests to the 

following risks:

Death and injury to guests, visitors, and staff

Damage to or collapse of buildings

Damage to and loss of furnishings, equipment, 

and other building contents

Disruption of hospitality functions and building 

operations

The greatest earthquake risk is associated with existing hotel and motel 

buildings that were designed and constructed before the use of modern 

building codes. For many parts of the United States, this includes buildings 

built as recently as the early 1990s.

Although vulnerable hotel and motel buildings should be replaced with 

safe, new construction or rehabilitated to correct deficiencies, for many 

building owners, new construction is limited, at times severely, by budgetary 

constraints, and seismic rehabilitation is expensive and disruptive. However, 

incremental seismic rehabilitation, an innovative approach that phases in 

a series of discrete rehabilitation actions over a period of several years, is an 

effective, affordable, and non-disruptive strategy for responsible mitigation 

action that can be integrated efficiently into ongoing facility maintenance and 

capital improvement operations to minimize cost and disruption. 

This manual and its companion documents are the products of a Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project to develop the concept of 

incremental seismic rehabilitation—that is, building modifications that reduce 

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Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

ii

seismic risk by improving seismic performance and that are implemented 

over an extended period, often in conjunction with other repair, maintenance, 

or capital improvement activities. It provides operators of hotels and motels 

and their owners, be they Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), pension 

funds, partnerships, individuals, or other forms of ownership, with the 

information necessary to assess the seismic vulnerability of their buildings 

and to implement a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation for those 

buildings. 

The manual consists of three parts:

Part A, Critical Decisions for Earthquake Safety in Hotel and Motel 

Buildings, is for senior executives, board members, and policy makers of 

hotel and motel building owners and operators who will decide on allocating 

resources for earthquake mitigation.

Part B, Planning and Managing the Process for Earthquake Risk 

Reduction in Existing Hotel and Motel Buildings, is for facility 

managers, risk managers, and financial managers of hotel and motel building 

owners and operators, or those responsible for these areas of management, 

who will initiate and manage mitigation.

Part C, Tools for Implementing Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation 

in Existing Hotel and Motel Buildings, is for facility managers of hotel 

and motel building owners and operators, or those responsible for facility 

management, who will implement incremental seismic rehabilitation 

programs.

This manual is part of a set of manuals intended for building owners, 

managers, and their staff:

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of School Buildings (K-12),

FEMA 395

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hospital Buildings, 

FEMA 396

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Office Buildings, 

FEMA 397

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iii

Foreword and Scope

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Multifamily Apartment 

Buildings, FEMA 398

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Retail Buildings, 

FEMA 399

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings,

FEMA 400

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Storage Buildings, 

FEMA 401

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Emergency Buildings,

FEMA 402

Each manual in this set addresses the specific needs and practices of a 

particular category of buildings and owners, and guides building owners and 

managers through a process that will reduce earthquake risk in their building 

inventory. The manuals answer the question, as specifically as possible: “What 

is the most affordable, least disruptive, and most effective way to reduce 

seismic risk in existing buildings?” By using the process outlined in these 

manuals, building owners and managers will become knowledgeable clients 

for implementing incremental seismic rehabilitation specifically geared to 

their building use category.

In addition to this set of manuals, there is a companion manual, Engineering 

Guideline for Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation, FEMA 420. It is intended 

to assist architects and engineers who provide services to building owners 

and operators. Architects and engineers using that manual will be effective 

consultants serving a knowledgeable owner and/or operator. Together 

they will be in a position to implement an effective incremental seismic 

rehabilitation program. 

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Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

iv

How to Use This Manual

Critical Decisions: Senior executives, board members, and similar policy 

makers of hotel and motel building owners and operators should read Part 

A. Section A.1 provides a general understanding of the earthquake hazard 

faced by a hotel and motel owner and operator. Section A.2 outlines how the 

seismic vulnerability of hotel and motel buildings and resultant losses can 

be estimated. Section A.3 summarizes the actions an owner or operator can 

take to reduce earthquake risk, including incremental seismic rehabilitation. 

Section A.4 details how to implement the concept of incremental seismic 

rehabilitation, including the additional benefits of integrating incremental 

seismic rehabilitation with other maintenance and capital improvement 

projects. By understanding these four sections, hotel and motel 

owners’ and operators’ top management can establish a policy of 

seismic risk reduction and initiate a more specific, objective, and 

cost-effective program of incremental seismic rehabilitation by their 

technical staff.

Program Development: Those responsible for the hotel and motel owner 

or operator facility, risk, and financial management should read Parts A and B, 

paying particular attention to Part B. Sections B.1 through B.3 provide detailed 

guidance on how the initiation of a program of incremental seismic 

rehabilitation can fit into the ongoing facility management process

used by the owner or operator organizations and their hotel and motel 

buildings, and indicate specific activities that can be undertaken. Appendix 

I, Additional Information on Hotel and Motel Building Facility Management, 

is provided at the end of this manual for those seeking more information on 

facility management. It contains a discussion of specific phases of the facility 

management process and activities for hotel and motel owners and operators 

seeking further detail.

Project Implementation: Facility managers of hotel and motel building 

owners and operators should read Part C in addition to Parts A and 

B. Section C.1 provides guidance on using the consulting services of 

architects and engineers in implementing a program of incremental seismic 

rehabilitation. Section C.2 discusses specific opportunities for combining 

increments of seismic rehabilitation with other maintenance and 

capital improvement projects. Appendix II, Integration Opportunities for 

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation for Small Organizations and Individual 
v

How To Use This Manual

Owners, is provided at the end of this manual for owners with limited 

professional facility management. It contains a simplified presentation of 

specific opportunities that can be identified on the basis of a quick evaluation 

by a design professional.

To get the most out of this manual:

Communicate the importance of assessing your building inventory’s 

risks and pass this manual on to staff members responsible for 

facility management, risk management, and financial planning. 

Specify that they develop an analysis of the current seismic risk of 

your buildings and a strategy for risk reduction.

Promptly initiate a program of earthquake risk reduction in your 

buildings located in an earthquake-prone zone that were not 

designed and constructed to meet modern building codes.

Consider incremental seismic rehabilitation as a cost-effective 

means to protect the buildings and, most importantly, the safety of 

guests, visitors, and staff, because it is a technically and financially 

manageable strategy that minimizes disruption of hotel and motel 

building operations.

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A-1

Part A

ACritical Decisions for 

Earthquake Safety in Hotel 

and Motel Buildings

For Senior Executives, 

Board Members, and 

Similar Policy Makers

Introduction

This manual is designed to give decision makers 

the framework and information for making informed 

decisions about investing in earthquake risk 

management measures. It is structured to follow the 

decision-making process of existing planning and 

management practices and will help you evaluate 

financial, safety, and strategic planning priorities. 

Owners of hotel and motel buildings may vary greatly in size, wealth, 

and technical capability. Some have comprehensive long-term facility 

management, maintenance, and development plans. Some have none. 

Operators of hotels and motels vary in the scope of standards they apply to 

the facilities they operate, as well as in their long-term facility management, 

maintenance, and development plans. The successful implementation 

of improved earthquake safety should be part of a comprehensive and 

coordinated approach by both owners and operators to building safety and 

multi-hazard mitigation.

Failure to address earthquake risk leaves the hotel and motel owner and 

operator exposed to potential losses, disruption, and liability for deaths and 

injuries. While purchasing insurance may protect owners or operators from 

financial losses and liability, it still leaves them susceptible to disruption as 

well as deaths and injuries. Only building rehabilitation can reduce losses, 

deaths, and injuries, as well as control liability and disruption. However, 

single-stage seismic rehabilitation can be expensive and disruptive. 

Incremental seismic rehabilitation can reduce that cost and disruption.

Part
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

A-2

Hotel and Motel Buildings, Risk, and Liability

Earthquakes are low-probability, high-consequence events. Though they 

may occur only once in the life of a building, they can have devastating, 

irreversible consequences.

Moderate earthquakes occur more frequently than major earthquakes. 

Nonetheless, moderate earthquakes can cause serious damage to building 

contents and nonstructural building systems, serious injury to guests, visitors, 

and staff, and disruption of building operations. Major earthquakes can cause 

catastrophic damage including structural collapse and massive loss of life. 

Those responsible for hotel and motel building safety must understand and 

manage these risks, particularly risks that threaten the lives of guests, visitors, 

and staff.

Earthquake risk is the product of hazard exposure and building vulnerability, 

as shown in the following equation:

RISK = HAZARD x VULNERABILITY

To manage earthquake risk in existing hotels and motels, one must 

understand the earthquake hazard and reduce building vulnerability.

Considering Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation

The incremental rehabilitation approach to seismic risk mitigation focuses 

on improvements that will decrease the vulnerability of hotel and motel 

buildings to earthquakes at the most appropriate and convenient times in the 

life cycle of those buildings. The approach clarifies, as specifically as possible, 

what is the most affordable, least disruptive, and most effective way to reduce 

seismic risk in your buildings.

Prior to initiating a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation, an owner 

and operator must first address the following three questions:

 Are your hotels and motels located in a seismic zone?

 Are these buildings vulnerable to earthquakes?

 What can you do to reduce earthquake risk in existing vulnerable 

buildings? 

This manual will help you find the right answers.

A.1 Is There an Earthquake Hazard for Your Hotel 

and Motel Buildings?

Earthquakes are one of the most serious natural hazards to which hotel and 

motel building owners and operators may be exposed. Although owners and 

operators face a variety of risks to their investments, guest and visitor safety, 

and facility operations that may appear more immediate, the consequences 

of earthquakes can be catastrophic. Therefore, despite the rare occurrence of 

earthquakes, earthquake safety should be given full consideration in design 

and investment for risk management and safety.

The first step in understanding earthquake risk:

RISK = HAZARD x VULNERABILITY

is to learn the likelihood and severity of an earthquake affecting your 

buildings.

In Brief

 The primary 

parameters of 

seismic hazard 

are the likelihood 

of occurrence and 

severity of an 

earthquake.

 Geographic 

location is the most 

significant factor of 

seismic hazard.

 Soil conditions at a 

particular site also 

influence the seismic 

hazard.
A-3

Part A

The Earthquake Hazard: Where, When, and How Big

The surface of the earth consists of solid masses, called tectonic plates, that 

float on a liquid core. The areas where separate plates meet each other are 

called faults. Most earthquakes result from the movement of tectonic plates, 

and seismic hazard is strongly correlated to known faults. A map of zones of 

seismic hazard for the United States, based on maps provided by the U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS), shows three zones from the lowest, green, to the 

highest, red. The white areas have negligible seismic hazard.

The USGS earthquake hazard map is based on a complex assessment of 

expected seismic activity associated with recognized faults. The scientific 

understanding of earthquakes continues to improve and has resulted in 

estimates of increased seismic hazard in various parts of the country over the 

last decade.

Seismic 

Hazard Map

Hotel and motel owners and operators responsible for the safety of guests, 

visitors, and staff need to know whether to be concerned about earthquakes. 

Some guidelines for determining earthquake risk in your location are:

 If your hotel or motel building is located in a red zone on the map

Earthquakes are one of the most significant risks facing your facilities.

Take immediate action to undertake comprehensive vulnerability 

assessment. Professional structural engineers should perform this 

assessment.

Identify and either replace or rehabilitate vulnerable existing 

buildings as soon as possible.

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Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

A-4

 If your hotel or motel building is located in a yellow zone

The probability of severe earthquake occurrence is sufficiently high to 

demand systematic investigation of your buildings.

Assign responsibility for investigation to the risk managers and 

facility managers within the organization. If they are not available, 

seek professional engineering assistance from outside.

Identify vulnerable buildings and schedule them for replacement, 

rehabilitation, or change of use.

Also consider mitigation of nonstructural hazards, such as securing 

equipment and suspended lighting that could injure building 

occupants in an earthquake.

 If your hotel or motel building is located in a green zone

Consider low-cost mitigation strategies that protect building 

occupants and the owner’s investment in facilities and systems, even 

though the probability of an earthquake is low.

Beyond this broad seismic zone designation, expected earthquake ground 

motion at a particular location is further influenced by local geology and 

soil conditions. Geotechnical engineering studies should be done to fully 

understand the earthquake hazard at a particular site in red and yellow zones.

A.2 Are Your Hotel and Motel Buildings Safe?

The second step in understanding earthquake risk:

RISK = HAZARD x VULNERABILITY

is to learn the expected damage and losses that could result from an 

earthquake.

What Happens to Hotel and Motel Buildings in Earthquakes

Earthquake fault rupture causes ground motion over a wide area. This ground 

motion acts as a powerful force on buildings. Buildings are principally 

designed to resist the force of gravity, but resistance to earthquake forces 

requires specialized earthquake engineering. Horizontal earthquake forces 

cause rapid movement of the foundation and displacement of upper levels of 

the structure. When inadequately designed to resist or accommodate these 

earthquake forces, structures fail, leading to serious structural damage and, in 

the worst case, total building collapse.

In addition to ground motion, buildings may suffer earthquake damage from 

the following effects:

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In Brief

 Seismic vulnerability 

consists of expected 

damages and losses.

 Seismic vulnerability 

depends on 

structural type, age, 

condition, contents, 

and use of hotel and 

motel buildings.

 Hazard exposure and 

building vulnerability 

may result in 

substantial death, 

injury, building and 

content damage, and 

serious disruption of 

building use.

Fault rupture under or 

near the building, often 

occurring in buildings 

located close to faults.

Reduction of the soil 

bearing capacity under 

or near the building.

Earthquake-induced 

landslides near the 

building.

Earthquake-induced waves 

in bodies of water near the 

building (tsunami on the 

ocean and seismic seiche1

on lakes).

1

 A wave on the surface 

of a lake or landlocked bay 

caused by atmospheric or 

seismic disturbances.
A-5

Part A

Building Age and Earthquake Vulnerability

The first earthquake design legislation was enacted in 1933 for schools in 

California (the Field Act). Since that time, awareness of earthquake risk 

has expanded across the country, and building codes have been improved 

because of research and experience. Since the early 1990s, most new hotel 

and motel buildings in the United States have been constructed in accordance 

with modern codes and meet societal standards for safety. However, older 

buildings should be reexamined in light of current knowledge. Some 

seismically active parts of the country (the Midwest) have only recently 

adopted appropriate seismic design standards, and in other parts of the 

country (the Northwest), estimates of seismic risk have been revised upward. 

The serious problem resides in existing vulnerable hotel and motel buildings 

constructed without seismic requirements or designed to obsolete standards. 

The building code is not retroactive; there is no automatic requirement to 

bring existing buildings up to current standards. Safety in existing buildings is 

the responsibility of the owner/operator.

Estimating Building Vulnerability

Engineers have defined levels of damage that can be expected in particular 

types of buildings due to varying intensities of earthquake motions. These 

levels of damage range from minor damage, such as cracks in walls, to total 

building collapse. In addition to building type, expected damage is also 

a function of building age and the state of maintenance. Hotel and motel 

buildings suffering from deferred maintenance will experience greater 

damage than well-maintained buildings will. For example, failure to maintain 

masonry parapets significantly increases the possibility of life threatening 

failure in even a moderate earthquake. 

It is possible to estimate roughly the vulnerability of an owner or operator’s 

portfolio of buildings and to identify problem buildings with a technique 

called “rapid visual screening.”2 Hotel and motel building owners and 

operators can produce generalized estimates of expected damage in the initial 

seismic risk assessment of their buildings.

After initial rapid screening, specific seismic risk assessment for individual 

hotel and motel buildings requires detailed engineering analysis.

Other Earthquake Losses

While a serious concern in its own right, building failure is the direct cause of 

even more important earthquake losses:

Death and injury of guests, visitors, and staff

Destruction of contents (equipment, furniture, and property of 

guests)

Disruption of occupancy and use

The expected extent of these losses can also be estimated based on hazard 

and vulnerability assessments. See Section B.2.2, Elements of an Incremental 

Seismic Rehabilitation Program, for applicable references.

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2

 FEMA 154, Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards: A 

Handbook, Second Edition.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

A-6

A.3 What Can Be Done to Reduce Earthquake 

Risk in Existing Vulnerable Hotel and Motel 

Buildings? 

Failure to address earthquake risk leaves the hotel and motel building owner 

and operator exposed to potential losses, disruption, and liability for deaths 

and injuries.While purchasing insurance may protect owners and operators 

from financial losses and liability, it still leaves them exposed to disruption 

as well as deaths and injuries. Only building rehabilitation can reduce losses, 

deaths, and injuries and control liability and disruption.

The implementation of seismic risk reduction through building rehabilitation 

will primarily involve the facility manager. However, to be effective it will 

require coordination among the facility managers, risk managers, and 

financial managers of both owners and operators. This is further discussed 

in Part B (for Facility Managers, Risk Managers, and Financial Managers). In 

addition, it is the responsibility of hotel and motel owners’ and operators’ 

top administrators to make sure that hazards are assessed and risk reduction 

measures implemented.

Options for Seismic Risk Reduction

The most important consideration for earthquake safety in hotels and motels 

is to reduce the risk of catastrophic structural collapse. Most likely in existing 

vulnerable buildings, structural collapse poses the greatest threat to life in a 

major earthquake. Choosing the method of protection from structural collapse 

in a deficient building requires two critical decisions:

Replace or Rehabilitate: If you decide to replace a building, new 

construction is carried out according to modern codes and can 

be assumed to meet current safety standards. However, financial 

constraints, historic preservation concerns, and other community 

interests may make the replacement option infeasible. In that case, 

rehabilitation should be considered.

Single-Stage Rehabilitation3 or Incremental 

Rehabilitation: If the rehabilitation option 

is chosen, there are still issues of cost and 

disruption associated with the rehabilitation 

work. The cost of single-stage seismic 

rehabilitation has proved to be a serious 

impediment to its implementation by many 

hotel and motel building owners. Incremental 

seismic rehabilitation is specifically designed 

to address and reduce the problems of cost 

and disruption.

Estimating the Costs and Benefits of Seismic Rehabilitation of 

Existing Hotel and Motel Buildings

The direct and indirect costs of seismic rehabilitation of a building are:

 Engineering and design services

 Construction

 Disruption of building occupancy and use during construction

In Brief 

 Seismic 

rehabilitation of 

existing vulnerable 

hotel and motel 

buildings can reduce 

future earthquake 

damage.

 Incremental seismic 

rehabilitation 

is a strategy to 

reduce the cost of 

rehabilitation and 

related disruption of 

occupancy and use.

3

 Single-stage rehabilitation refers to completing the rehabilitation in a single continuous 

project.
A-7

Part A

The benefits of seismic rehabilitation of a building are:

 Reduced risk of death and injury of guests, visitors, and staff

 Reduced building damage

 Reduced damage to contents and equipment

 Reduced disruption of the delivery of hospitality and related services

Engineers have developed estimates of the reduction of earthquake damage 

that can be achieved with seismic rehabilitation following the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) current rehabilitation standards. 

This type of estimate, however, may significantly undervalue the benefit of 

seismic rehabilitation. In considering the return on seismic rehabilitation 

investments, it is appropriate to consider the value of damages avoided as 

well as the difficult-to-quantify values of deaths, injuries, and disruption of 

occupancy and use functions avoided.

The primary obstacles to single-stage rehabilitation of vulnerable existing 

hotel and motel buildings are the cost of rehabilitation construction work and 

related disruption of hospitality and related services. Incremental seismic 

rehabilitation offers opportunities to better manage rehabilitation costs and 

reduce its disruption. The following section explains incremental seismic 

rehabilitation in more detail.

A.4 Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing 

Hotel and Motel Buildings 

Incremental rehabilitation phases seismic rehabilitation into an ordered 

series of discrete actions implemented over a period of several years, 

and whenever feasible, these actions are timed to coincide with regularly 

scheduled repairs, maintenance, or capital improvements. Such an approach, 

if carefully planned, engineered, and implemented, will ultimately achieve the 

full damage reduction benefits of a more costly and disruptive single-stage 

rehabilitation. In fact, for hotel and motel buildings, a key distinction between 

the incremental and single-stage rehabilitation approaches is that the 

incremental approach can effectively eliminate or drastically reduce disruption 

cost if the incremental approach can be organized so that most rehabilitation 

increments occur during the period of seasonal low occupancy. Incremental 

seismic rehabilitation can be initiated in the near-term as a component of 

planned maintenance and capital improvement with only marginal added 

cost. Getting started as soon as possible on a program of earthquake safety 

demonstrates recognition of responsibility for hotel and motel building safety 

and can provide protection from liability.

Assessment of Deficiencies

A necessary activity that must precede a seismic rehabilitation program, be 

it single-stage or incremental, is an assessment of the seismic vulnerability 

of the owner’s or operator’s building inventory. Facility managers can 

implement such an assessment using owner or operator staff or outside 

engineering consultants as appropriate. The assessment should rank the 

owner’s or operator’s respective building inventories in terms of seismic 

vulnerability and identify specific deficiencies. FEMA publishes a number 

of documents that can guide you through the assessment process. Portions 

of the assessment activities can be integrated with other ongoing facility 

management activities such as periodic building inspections. Facility 

In Brief

 Whereas singlestage seismic 

rehabilitation of 

an existing hotel 

or motel building 

represents a 

significant cost, 

rehabilitation actions 

can be divided 

into increments 

and integrated 

into normal 

maintenance and 

capital improvement 

projects.

 The implementation 

of incremental 

seismic rehabilitation 

requires assessing 

the buildings, 

establishing 

rehabilitation 

priorities, and 

planning integration 

with other projects.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

A-8

assessments and the FEMA publications available to help you conduct them 

are discussed in more detail in Part B.4

Rehabilitation Strategy

The incremental seismic rehabilitation program will correct the deficiencies 

identified by the assessment. The order in which seismic rehabilitation 

increments are undertaken can be important to their ultimate effectiveness. 

There are three aspects to prioritizing seismic rehabilitation increments:

 Structural Priority: An initial prioritization 

of seismic rehabilitation increments should be 

established primarily in terms of their respective 

impact on the overall earthquake resistance of 

the structure. Facility managers will begin with 

these priorities when determining the order of 

seismic rehabilitation increments to be undertaken. 

However, the final order of increments may 

deviate from this priority order depending on 

other planning parameters. Additional engineering 

analysis may be required for certain building types 

when deviating from the structural priority order. 

This subject is discussed in more detail in Part B, 

Section B.2, and Part C.

 Use Priority: Hotel and motel building owners 

should consider planning alternative future uses of 

their existing buildings. Some vulnerable buildings 

may be scheduled for demolition or converted 

to other uses (for example, storage). Others may 

be scheduled for expansion and intensification 

of use. These considerations, among others, will 

influence the prioritization of seismic rehabilitation 

increments.

 Integration: A major advantage of the incremental 

seismic rehabilitation approach is that specific 

work items can be integrated with other building 

maintenance or capital improvement projects 

undertaken routinely. Such integration will reduce 

the cost of the seismic rehabilitation action by 

sharing engineering costs, design costs, and 

some aspects of construction costs. Integration 

opportunities are a key consideration in adapting 

the sequence of actions suggested by the foregoing 

discussions of rehabilitation priorities. Integration 

opportunities are discussed in more detail in Part C, 

Section C.2.

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Plan

An essential feature of implementing incremental seismic rehabilitation in 

specific hotel and motel buildings is the development and documentation 

of a seismic rehabilitation plan. The seismic rehabilitation plan will include 

SCHEMATIC

INTEGRATION 

OPPORTUNITIES

Exterior Wall Work 

Interior Work

Roof Work 

4

 To order FEMA publications you may write to FEMA, PO Box 2012, Jessup, MD 20794-

2012; or you may call 1-800-480-2520, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., eastern time; 

or you may Fax your request to 301-362-5335.
A-9

Part A

all the anticipated rehabilitation increments and their prioritization as 

previously discussed. The documentation will guide the implementation of 

the incremental seismic rehabilitation program and should ensure that the 

hotel and motel building owner and operator do not lose sight of overall 

rehabilitation goals during implementation of individual increments.

Summary of Part A

The primary parameters of seismic hazard are the likelihood of 

occurrence and severity of an earthquake.

Geographic location is the most significant factor of seismic hazard.

Soil conditions at a particular site also influence the seismic hazard.

Seismic vulnerability consists of expected damages and losses.

Seismic vulnerability depends on structural type, age, condition, 

contents, and use of hotel and motel buildings.

Hazard exposure and building vulnerability may result in substantial 

death, injury, building and content damage, and serious disruption of 

building use.

Seismic rehabilitation of existing vulnerable hotel and motel 

buildings can reduce future earthquake damage.

Incremental seismic rehabilitation is a strategy to reduce the cost of 

rehabilitation and related disruption of occupancy and use.

Whereas single-stage seismic rehabilitation of an existing hotel 

or motel building represents a significant cost, rehabilitation 

actions can be divided into increments and integrated into normal 

maintenance and capital improvement projects.

The implementation of incremental seismic rehabilitation requires 

assessing the buildings, establishing rehabilitation priorities, and 

planning integration with other projects.

Recommended Actions

1. Communicate the importance of assessing your respective building 

inventories’ risks and pass this manual on to the staff members 

responsible for facility management, risk management, and financial 

planning. Specify that they develop an analysis of the current seismic 

risk of your buildings and a strategy for risk reduction.

2. Promptly initiate a program of earthquake risk reduction in your 

buildings located in an earthquake-prone zone that were not 

designed and constructed to meet modern building codes.

3. Consider incremental seismic rehabilitation as a cost-effective 

means to protect the buildings and, most importantly, the safety of 

guests, visitors, and staff, because it is a technically and financially 

manageable strategy that minimizes disruption of hotel and motel 

building operations.

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B-1

Part B

B

Planning and Managing 

the Process for Earthquake 

Risk Reduction in Existing 

Hotel and Motel Buildings

For Facility Managers, 

Risk Managers, and 

Financial Managers

Introduction 

Part B of this manual is written specifically for hotel and 

motel building facility managers, risk managers, and 

financial managers concerned with the seismic safety of 

their buildings. These managers may be on the owner’s 

staff, operator’s staff, or both. The organization’s senior 

management may have requested you, the manager, 

to make a recommendation to address seismic safety 

in hotel and motel buildings or may have made the 

decision to address it, or there may already be a seismic 

safety program in place. Part B describes when and how 

specific activities that will accomplish the goal of seismic 

risk reduction can be introduced into an ongoing hotel 

and motel facility management process, regardless of 

how simple or sophisticated that process is. Part B also 

provides the framework and outline that can be used 

by the facility managers, risk managers, and financial 

managers in developing and communicating their 

recommendations to senior management.

Part
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B-2

An incremental seismic rehabilitation program is one of several seismic risk 

reduction strategies that can be implemented in hotel and motel buildings. 

It can be implemented separately or in combination with other seismic risk 

reduction actions. If you determine that such a program is appropriate for 

your organization, the planning and implementation of incremental seismic 

rehabilitation should be integrated into the facility management processes 

and integrated with other seismic risk reduction actions that will complement 

it or support it.

Part B of this manual is applicable to organizations that own hotels and 

motels and/or that operate them. Where differences apply to these different 

types of organizations, it is noted in the text.

B.1 Integrating the Efforts of Facility Management, 

Risk Management, and Financial Management 

of Owners and Operators

Preparing an analysis of a hotel and motel building owner’s and/or operator’s 

earthquake risk reduction needs, and planning and managing such a process, 

benefits from an integrated effort by the organizations’ respective facility 

managers, risk managers, and financial managers, or by the administrators 

charged with those respective responsibilities. Such an integrated effort 

may be a departure from current practices, but collaboration is the key to 

improving safety cost-effectively and with a minimum of disruption.

Facility managers currently carry out their planning activities by 

considering the parameters of market conditions, area demographics, and 

the physical condition and projected useful life of existing hotel and motel 

buildings. Often they consider pressing social issues such as physical security 

and accessibility. Some of these issues become federal or local government 

mandates, such as asbestos and lead abatement, energy conservation, or 

accessibility compliance. Sometimes facility managers consider the risks 

to hotel and motel buildings from natural disasters such as earthquakes or 

windstorms. In general, the owner’s facility managers are concerned about 

the overall condition of the assets (such as structural condition and indoor air 

quality) while the operator’s facility managers are concerned about interior 

design and the functioning of the asset as a hospitality facility. Both parties 

have a stake in earthquake risk reduction, and their roles and participation will 

overlap. 

Risk managers, relatively recent additions to many hotel and motel owners’ 

organizations, have long held key positions on hotel operators’ organizations. 

They carry out planning activities by considering three aspects: risk 

identification, risk reduction, and risk transfer. The latter generally involves the 

purchase of insurance. Currently, hotel and motel operator risks are classified 

into four broad areas: liability risk, larceny risk, employee risk, and facility 

and environmental risk. Hotel and motel owners generally share facility and 

environmental risk with the operators. Hotel operators’ risk managers may 

consider the risks to hotel and motel buildings and their occupants from 

natural disasters: however, rarely do owners’ risk managers consider these 

risks. Rather, they tend to assume that they are addressed by building codes 

and similar regulations. 

Financial managers currently deal with facilities by controlling and 

managing maintenance budgets, capital improvement budgets, and insurance 

budgets. These budgets are usually subject to the agreement between the 

hotel owner and operator. The respective facility managers and risk managers 

In Brief

Planning for 

earthquake risk 

reduction in hotel 

and motel buildings 

requires a coordinated 

and integrated effort 

by facility managers, 

risk managers, and 

financial managers of 

both the owner and 

operator organizations.

Facility Managers

Risk Managers

Financial Managers
B-3

Part B

present the demands on these budgets to the financial managers, but rarely 

are the potential tradeoffs among these budgets considered. The costs and 

benefits of various options of facility risk management are rarely explicitly 

addressed. 

Addressing the problem of earthquake risk reduction requires establishing 

active communication among the three management functions within 

both owner and operator organizations, and coordinating activities into an 

integrated planning and management effort. The sharing of facility risks 

between owners and operators will have to be understood and clearly 

defined. Facility and risk managers will have to consider facility risk, 

and financial managers will have to consider the costs and benefits of 

various options for managing facility risk. Specific recommendations on 

implementing such an effort are provided in the following sections.

B.2 Integrating Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation 

into the Facility Management Process

B.2.1 A Model of the Facility Management Process for Existing 

Hotel and Motel Buildings

The typical facility management process for existing hotel and motel 

buildings consists of eight phases of activities: Acquisition, Change of 

Management, Redevelopment, Current Building Use, Planning, Maintenance 

& Rehabilitation Budgeting, Maintenance & Rehabilitation Funding, and 

Maintenance & Rehabilitation Implementation. Each phase consists of a 

distinct set of activities as follows:

Acquisition: due diligence (by owner)

Change of Management: due diligence and redevelopment standards 

(by operator)

Redevelopment: capital improvement (by operator)

Current Use: facility occupancy, facility operation, facility maintenance, 

and facility assessment (by operator and owner)

Planning: strategic planning and facility planning (by operator and 

owner)

Budgeting: capital budgeting, maintenance budgeting, and insurance 

budgeting (by operator and owner)

Funding: financing of capital, maintenance, and insurance budgets (by 

operator and owner)

Implementation: capital improvement and maintenance (by operator 

and owner)

This process is sequential, except that the first two—acquisition and change 

of management—can occur in either order, or simultaneously. Furthermore, 

change of management can occur any time in the process during the current 

building use phase. The process progresses from acquisition or change of 

management through implementation of rehabilitation in any given building. 

An owner or operator of a large inventory of buildings is likely to have 

ongoing activities in all of these phases in different buildings. The process 

is illustrated in the following diagram. Appendix I to this manual, Additional 

Information on Hotel and Motel Building Facility Management, contains a 

discussion of the specific phases and the activities therein for owners and 

In Brief

Eleven specific 

activities can be 

added to the current 

facility management 

process to implement 

an incremental 

seismic rehabilitation 

program.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B-4

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 2

Operator Risk 

Reduction 

Standards

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 3

Initial Integration 

Opportunities

operators seeking further detail on the facility management process. This is a 

generalized model subject to local variation.

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 1 

Due Diligence

Analysis

B.2.2 Elements of an Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation 

Program

The following 11 activities are considered essential elements of an 

incremental seismic rehabilitation program for hotel and motel buildings, and 

can be added to the facility management process by facility, risk, and financial 

managers who implement such a program:

B.2.2.1 Due Diligence Analysis

Due diligence analysis is carried out by the hotel and motel building owner 

before acquisition of an existing property and by the hotel and motel 

operator when management of the property changes. In regions of higher 

and moderate seismicity, due diligence should include a probabilistic 

analysis of potential earthquake risks. Such an analysis considers damage 

from earthquakes of all levels of intensity, and will provide information on 

seismic vulnerabilities in the building. The owner and operator will likely 

have different perceptions of the relative importance of different seismic 

vulnerabilities. The owner is likely to focus on reducing earthquake damage 

to buildings, while the operator is likely to focus on liability for earthquake 

deaths and injuries to guests and staff. If the building is acquired or the 

management changes, the due diligence analysis will provide information for 

the initiation of a full seismic assessment. Probabilistic analysis, because of 

its detail and scope, will be more expensive than more simplistic Probable 

Maximum Loss (PML) analysis.

B.2.2.2 Operator Risk Reduction Standards

Hotel and motel operators are likely to have well-defined risk reduction 

standards derived from their perceived liabilities related to potential hazards. 

In regions of higher and moderate seismicity, these standards may address 

seismic risk reduction. If hotel management changes, the new operator 

will include implementation of its risk reduction standards in its agreement 

with the owner. These standards may lead to the initiation of a full seismic 

assessment.

B.2.2.3 Initial Integration Opportunities

Even if seismic rehabilitation is not among the capital improvements being 

undertaken in the redevelopment phase following a hotel acquisition 

or a change in hotel management, and even though seismic screening 

and evaluation may not have taken place prior to the determination of 

redevelopment phase capital improvements, there may be some seismic 

rehabilitation increments that can be identified with minimal evaluation and 

analysis (for example, parapet and gable bracing or anchoring of mechanical 

equipment). Depending on the nature of these increments, it may be possible 

to integrate them with specific capital improvements being undertaken in 

this phase. Part C, Section C.2 should be used to identify such integration 

Opportunities.
B-5

Part B

B.2.2.4 Seismic Screening

Following building acquisition and initial redevelopment, seismic screening 

of the owner’s or operator’s hotel and motel building inventory is the first 

step of the incremental seismic rehabilitation process. Seismic screening 

procedures can be incorporated into other facility assessment activities. Begin 

with a determination of the status of the archival records. If building plans 

are available, a document review for the determination of building structure 

types is the first step in seismic screening. The following chart can be used to 

obtain an overall view of seismic concerns based on the seismic hazard map 

in Part A.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has developed FEMA 

154, Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards: A 

Handbook, Second Edition,1 as guidance for seismic screening of an inventory 

of buildings. It describes a technique for identifying the relatively more 

vulnerable buildings in a large inventory so that they can be addressed in 

more detail.

The FEMA 154 publication is nationally applicable and addresses all building 

types. In some cases, the screening will suggest specific seismic rehabilitation 

opportunities that do not require additional engineering and risk analyses.

The incorporation of seismic screening into ongoing facility assessment 

activities requires assigning the screening to the appropriate inspectors. 

If inspections are periodically carried out by the owner or operator in the 

hotel and motel buildings for other purposes, such as life safety, insurance, 

occupational health and safety, or hazardous materials identification, it may 

be possible to assign the seismic screening to the same inspectors with some 

additional training. Alternatively, the seismic screening can be assigned to a 

consulting architect or engineer.

B.2.2.5 Seismic Evaluation

Seismic evaluation is an engineering analysis of individual hotel or motel 

buildings. It usually follows the seismic screening, when the buildings 

identified as relatively more vulnerable are subjected to a more detailed 

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 4

Seismic Screening

Initial Hotel and 

Motel Facility 

Manager/

Risk Manager 

Screening of 

Seismic Concerns

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 5

Seismic Evaluation

1

 To order this and other FEMA publications, you may write to FEMA, PO Box 2012, 

Jessup, MD 20794-2012; or you may call 800-480-2520, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. 

– 5:00 p.m., eastern time; or you may fax your request to 301-362-5335.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B-6

analysis. However, in some cases, such as when the owner’s or operator’s 

building inventory is small, seismic evaluation of individual buildings may be 

the first step of the incremental seismic rehabilitation process.

Guidance for seismic evaluation of buildings is contained in standard ASCE 

31,2 Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings, which is based on FEMA 310, 

Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings—A Prestandard.

The standard provides engineering guidance on how to evaluate categories 

of buildings in order to identify deficiencies and determine effective 

rehabilitation measures.

Seismic evaluation can be done by the owner’s or operator’s professional staff 

or by a consulting engineer.

B.2.2.6 Developing a Risk Reduction Policy

Convince the board of directors to adopt a clear policy statement supporting 

seismic risk reduction. Such a policy should, at a minimum, establish seismic 

performance objectives for the owner’s and/or operator’s hotel and motel 

buildings. Seismic performance objectives define the target performance 

of a building following an earthquake of a specified intensity. The policy 

and objectives should be developed and documented as part of the seismic 

rehabilitation planning process. 

Owner and operator risk reduction policies are likely to differ. Owner seismic 

risk reduction is more likely to focus on reducing earthquake damage to the 

hotel building, while operator risk reduction is more likely to focus on liability 

for earthquake deaths and injuries to guests and staff. Both are likely to be 

concerned about business interruption, though their focuses may differ as 

a function of their management agreement. With such potential divergence 

of interest, it is important that owners and operators not only develop a 

risk reduction policy, but also that they communicate with each other and 

coordinate their policies. 

This coordination is multi-faceted, because owners are likely to have 

agreements with different operators for different hotel buildings, and 

operators are likely to deal with multiple owners.

B.2.2.7 Seismic Rehabilitation Planning for Specific Buildings

FEMA has developed engineering guidance to plan seismic rehabilitation for 

specific buildings, including FEMA 356, Prestandard and Commentary for the 

Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings, which includes specific techniques for 

analyzing and designing effective seismic rehabilitation. The planning task 

entails four specific facility planning subtasks:

Establish seismic target performance levels: With cooperation 

between central management and local facility management, as 

well as between the owner and operator, establish the performance 

level desired in each of the owner’s or operator’s hotel and motel 

buildings following an earthquake. Performance levels used in FEMA 

356 are, in declining level of protection:

Operational

Immediate Occupancy

Life Safety

Collapse Prevention

1.

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Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 7

Seismic 

Rehabilitation 

Planning for 

Specific Buildings

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 6

Developing a Risk 

Reduction Policy

2

 ASCE 31 can be obtained from the American Society of Civil Engineers at 

1-800-548-2723.
B-7

Part B

Target Building Performance 

Levels and Ranges

This is an expansion of the two 

performance levels—immediate 

occupancy and life safety—included in 

ASCE 31, Seismic Evaluation of Existing 

Buildings. The figures adapted from 

FEMA 356 on this and the following 

page demonstrate the use of these 

performance levels. Reasonable objectives 

and expectations should be considered 

for moderate, severe, and rare great 

earthquakes.

Prioritize rehabilitation 

opportunities: Carry out additional 

engineering and risk analysis in order 

to prioritize the seismic rehabilitation 

opportunities identified in the seismic 

evaluation in terms of risk reduction. 

ASCE 31 and FEMA 356 include lists 

of seismic rehabilitation measures 

as a function of common building 

types. Priorities for these measures 

are established in terms of respective 

contribution to the overall earthquake 

resistance of the structure. 

Apply a “worst first” approach. Attend 

to heavily used sections of the most 

vulnerable buildings housing the greatest 

number of occupants, as well as to areas 

housing critical functions and equipment. 

For example, higher priorities may be 

given to rehabilitation of areas of higher 

human occupancy, such as banquet 

rooms and restaurants; to areas that 

facilitate the evacuation of the building 

in an earthquake, such as lobbies, corridors, stairs, and exits; and to 

areas where important information and equipment are housed.

Define increments: Break down the specific seismic rehabilitation 

opportunities into discrete incremental rehabilitation measures 

that make sense in engineering and construction terms. When 

establishing increments, consider scheduling to minimize disruption 

to normal hospitality operations. 

Integrate with other rehabilitation work: Link each incremental 

rehabilitation measure with other related facility maintenance or 

capital improvement work. The related work classifications may differ 

from one building owner or operator to another, and some may be 

the owner’s responsibility while other may be the operator’s, but 

they will fall into the following generic categories:

Building envelope improvements

Interior space reconfiguration

Life safety and accessibility improvements

Refinishing and hazardous materials removal

Building systems additions, replacements, and repairs

Additions to existing buildings

2.

3.

4.

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Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B-8

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 8

Staging Seismic 

Rehabilitation 

Increments

Opportunities for project integration are listed in Part C, Section C.2 

of this manual. Some examples of the opportunities you can use to 

link projects are: when accessing concealed areas, when removing 

finishes and exposing structural elements, when performing work 

in a common location, when sharing scaffolding and construction 

equipment, and when sharing contractors and work force. 

The four subtasks described above form an iterative process. The definition 

and related cost estimation of increments, as well as the integration with 

other maintenance and capital improvement projects (subtasks 3 and 4), 

may lead to a revision of target performance levels (subtask 1) or to specific 

analysis carried out as part of subtask 2.

B.2.2.8 Staging Seismic Rehabilitation Increments

Determine the number and scope of incremental stages that will be 

undertaken and the length of time over which the entire rehabilitation strategy 

will be implemented. 

Damage Control and Building Performance Levels
B-9

Part B

Estimates of seismic damage can be quantified in terms of percentage 

of building value damaged. Annual seismic damage is calculated as the 

probable damage that can result in any year from all possible earthquakes. 

The benefits of seismic rehabilitation are quantified as the reduction in annual 

seismic damage resulting from specific rehabilitation actions (also quantified 

in terms of percentage of building value). A generalized life-cycle benefit 

analysis shows that incremental approaches can return a substantial portion 

of the expected benefits of single-stage seismic rehabilitation carried out now.

The schematic diagram below illustrates such a life-cycle benefit analysis. 

The three wide arrows represent the benefits of single-stage rehabilitation 

occurring at three points in time: now, in 20 years, and in 40 years. Clearly, 

the largest benefit derives from a single-stage rehabilitation done now, and 

it is designated as 100%. The benefits of single-stage rehabilitation done in 

the future must be discounted and expressed as some percentage lower than 

100%, as represented by the decreased arrows. The stepped portion of the 

diagram represents incremental rehabilitation starting soon and completed in 

four increments over 20 years. The benefits of the future increments must also 

be discounted, and the benefit of the completed incremental rehabilitation 

is therefore expressed as a percentage lower than 100%, but higher than the 

single-stage rehabilitation in year 20. Reducing the overall duration of the 

incremental rehabilitation will increase its benefit, and extending the duration 

will decrease it.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B-10

Incremental seismic rehabilitation affords great flexibility in the sequence and 

timing of actions when the following precautions are kept in mind:

It is important to get started as soon as possible. Any early reduction 

of risk will provide benefit over the remaining life of the building. 

Delaying action extends risk exposure. The incremental approach can 

be more effective than a delayed, single-stage rehabilitation, as long 

as one gets started soon.

Even if the completion of the incremental program takes 10 or 20 

years, most of the risk reduction benefit is realized.

There is a wide margin of error. For example, you may 

unintentionally increase the probability of damage in the first few 

years due to an initial rehabilitation increment that inadvertently 

makes the building more vulnerable to damage, and still realize 

the benefit of risk reduction if you complete the incremental 

rehabilitation over a reasonable period.

B.2.2.9 Budget Packaging

The facility, risk, and financial managers should carefully plan how to present 

the incremental seismic rehabilitation budgets to maximize the probability 

of their being approved, given the financial realities of owner and operator 

organizations. Hotel and motel capital improvement budgets are generally 

categorized into escrow and outside escrow accounts. Escrow accounts, 

usually consisting of 3.5–5.0% of revenues, are set aside for specific types 

of improvements that are under the control of the operator. Outside escrow 

accounts cover other improvements that are usually under the authority of 

the owner; in some cases they may be required by the operator or subject 

to the owner-operator agreement. Most incremental seismic rehabilitation 

improvements will be in the outside escrow category, while some, such as 

attachment and anchoring of light fixtures or mechanical equipment, may fall 

in the escrow category. The facility maintenance and capital improvement 

work with which the seismic rehabilitation increments are to be integrated 

may also be outside escrow or escrow improvements. Thus, integrated 

incremental seismic rehabilitation may present an opportunity for the creative 

packaging of escrow and outside escrow accounts into integrated budget 

packages.

The facility capital improvements and maintenance budget proposals, 

generated both locally at the building and centrally at owner or operator 

headquarters, are results of the facility planning process. The budget, 

however, is also a vehicle for establishing funding priorities through a 

board decision, a special agreement between the owner and operator, or 

other process. It is unlikely for most hotel and motel building owners and 

operators in the United States to be able to raise funds for a comprehensive 

seismic rehabilitation program of all their buildings. While the incremental 

rehabilitation approach appears to be a viable alternative, in some 

organizations it may be necessary to “package” incremental seismic 

rehabilitation with other work in order to get it funded.

In regions of moderate seismicity and low seismic awareness (parts of New 

York and New England, for example), it may be useful to concentrate on 

rehabilitation measures that also reduce the risk of loss due to other natural 

or man-made forces, such as high winds or terrorist attack. Such a multihazard approach will help justify mitigation investments.

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Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 9

Budget Packaging
B-11

Part B

For those parts of the country where the understanding of earthquake 

risk is limited, it may be necessary and appropriate to combine seismic 

rehabilitation costs with normal maintenance budgets.

B.2.2.10 Financial Packaging

Aside from escrow improvements that are funded directly from revenues, 

hotel and motel owners can fund outside escrow improvement from three 

sources: equity, commercial credit, and operator credit. The mode of financing 

should be decided prior to initiation of the seismic rehabilitation.

B.2.2.11 Seismic Rehabilitation Project Management

In addition to management coordination between the operator and owner, the 

implementation of the selected incremental seismic rehabilitation measures 

in combination with other building work may require detailed project design 

and bid packaging.

Fully brief or train in-house architects/engineers or outside 

consultants preparing the bid documents on the rationale behind 

the rehabilitation measures in order to assure that the risk reduction 

objectives are achieved.

Ensure the continuity of building documentation from the analysis 

and design through construction and as-built drawings.

Conduct a pre-bid conference to explain to all prospective bidders 

the seismic risk reduction objectives and the rationale for their 

selection.

Federal and state mandates and programs represent opportunities for seismic 

rehabilitation. Federal and state programs may establish requirements 

affecting the implementation phase that have implications for hotels and 

motels (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] and Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration [OSHA] requirements).

B.2.3 Integration into the Hotel and Motel Facility 

Management Process

The following diagram illustrates the integration of the 11 elements discussed 

in the preceding sections (B.2.2.1 through B.2.2.11) into the hotel and motel 

facility management process. The elements are shown in the phase of the 

management process in which they are most likely to be implemented.

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Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 10

Financial Packaging

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation

Element 11

Seismic 

Rehabilitation 

Project 

Management
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B-12

B.3 Opportunities for Seismic Risk Reduction in 

Support of Integrating Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation into the Facility Management 

Process

The following ten opportunities for seismic risk reduction support the 

integration of an incremental seismic rehabilitation program:

Responding to Occupant Concerns

Emergency Management/Response Planning (establishing liaison)

Emergency Management/Mitigation Planning (establishing liaison)

Developing a Risk Reduction Policy

Incorporating Federal and State Mandates and Programs

Coordinating with Risk and Insurance Managers

Coordinating with Lenders

Becoming Familiar with Applicable Codes

Establishing and Maintaining a Roster of Design Professionals

Negotiating Code Enforcement

These opportunities are created by internal and external factors that typically 

influence the hotel and motel facility management process. Internal factors 

are generated within the owner’s or operator’s organization. External factors 

are imposed on organizations by outside pressures, such as the government, 

insurance regulations and practices, or the financial climate. The following 

factors may influence each respective phase:

Acquisition: external market conditions, lenders and insurers, and 

internal risk management

Change of Management: external market conditions and insurers, 

and internal risk management

Redevelopment: external market conditions, lenders and insurers, and 

internal marketing, architectural, and risk reduction policies

Current Use: external federal and state programs, and internal 

occupant concerns

Planning: external insurance carriers and brokers and government 

mandates, and internal board policies

Budgeting: external government fiscal regulations and lender 

requirements, and internal budgetary constraints and risk management

Funding: external economic conditions 

Implementation: external federal and state mandates and programs, 

codes and code enforcement

Appendix I to this manual, Additional Information on Hotel and Motel Building 

Facility Management, contains a discussion of the specific phases and the 

related internal and external influences for those seeking more information on 

the facility management process.

The following diagram illustrates the integration of these opportunities into 

the hotel and motel facility management process. The opportunities are 

shown in the phase of the management process in which they are most likely 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

In Brief

Ten additional 

activities can be 

added to the facility 

management process 

to further reduce 

seismic risk.
B-13

Part B

to be implemented. Each opportunity is discussed in detail in the following 

sections (B.3.1 through B.3.10).

B.3.1 Responding to Occupant Concerns

Hotel and motel operators should track all guest and staff concerns that 

relate to earthquake vulnerability, and make sure they are understood and 

considered by both owners and operators in the planning phase.

Be alert to guest concerns, especially as they affect occupancy. They can be 

a source of considerable influence on risk managers as well as a potentially 

significant pressure on the facility management process. Occupant concerns 

may become the vehicle for channeling owner and operator internal 

pressures of all kinds, including policies adopted by the board, into capital 

improvements and maintenance actions.

B.3.2 Emergency Management/Response Planning

Hotel and motel operators should establish a liaison with emergency 

management agencies and volunteer agencies such as the Red Cross. 

Become familiar with the role of hotels and motels in the local emergency 

response plans. If it is a significant role, become active in the emergency 

planning process. Define the role in specific detail, assigning specific 

functions to specific facilities. The role of specific hotel and motel buildings 

in the local emergency response plans (such as shelter and housing for 

disaster victims) should affect seismic performance objectives and the priority 

of specific seismic rehabilitation measures. Therefore, there should be full 

coordination between an operator’s emergency planning and facility planning 

functions. 

B.3.3 Emergency Management/Mitigation Planning

Hotel and motel owners and operators should establish a liaison with 

emergency management mitigation planners at the state and local levels. 

Endeavor to incorporate the hotel and motel building earthquake mitigation 

into the state’s mitigation plan, and to recognize the owner’s and operator’s 

incremental seismic rehabilitation measures as elements of the mitigation 

plan.

Federal resources and funds are available to small business owners following 

a presidentially declared disaster for the support of disaster recovery and 

mitigation planning activities in the form of Small Business Administration 
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B-14

(SBA) loans. Hotel and motel owners who qualify should make every effort to 

obtain these resources.

B.3.4 Developing a Risk Reduction Policy

Convince the board of directors to adopt a clear policy statement supporting 

seismic risk reduction. Such a policy should, at a minimum, establish seismic 

performance objectives for the owner’s and operator’s hotel and motel 

buildings. Seismic performance objectives define the target performance 

of a building following an earthquake of a specified intensity. The policy 

and objectives should be developed and documented as part of the seismic 

rehabilitation planning process.

B.3.5 Incorporating Federal and State Mandates and Programs

Hotel and motel owners and operators should become familiar with the 

seismic rehabilitation requirements imposed on hotel and motel buildings by 

federal and state programs, currently or under discussion for the future, and 

take them into account in planning activities.

B.3.6 Coordinating with Risk and Insurance Managers

Establish coordination between the facility management and risk 

management functions within the respective hotel and motel building owner’s 

and operator’s organizations, as well as between these organizations.

The owner’s or operator’s risk and insurance managers may have a direct or 

indirect role in the planning and budgeting phases of the facility management 

process with regard to decisions related to insurance as well as other budget 

categories.

In regions of seismic risk, the risk of building loss or damage, the risk of 

occupant death or injury, and the risk of the owner’s and operator’s liability 

must all be assessed. The risk managers should be fully informed on the 

individual building or project approaches to seismic risk reduction and should 

participate in the planning process. Insurance carriers are more than willing, 

when asked, to provide building owners and operators with Loss Control 

and Prevention Reports that include recommendations for loss prevention. If 

seismic risk is covered by the owner’s or operator’s insurance carrier, it may 

be possible to negotiate a rate reduction, deductible reduction, or increased 

maximum benefit. On the other hand, the insurer may require some seismic 

rehabilitation as a condition of coverage.

Hotel and motel facility operators have practiced formal risk management 

for a long time, but it usually focuses on issues of loss reduction from injury, 

theft, and other crimes. Facility losses are of relatively recent concern to 

many hotel and motel building owners and operators. For large owners or 

operators with nationwide portfolios, risk management is usually placed at 

central headquarters. Facility management is a local function that takes place 

at a particular building, or regionally, for a group of buildings. In this case, 

there is a need to establish effective communication lines between central 

organization staff and local facility managers. Risk managers may develop 

checklists, questionnaires, or other planning tools to be used by facility 

managers in planning for seismic risk reduction.

B.3.7 Coordinating with Lenders

Hotel and motel owners should become familiar with the requirements likely 

to be imposed by lenders on their capital improvement program. Some 

lenders may waive or reduce their requirement for seismic insurance if certain 

seismic improvements are included in the program.

Currently there are no 

seismic rehabilitation 

mandates or 

implications in any 

federal or state 

programs related to 

existing commercial 

buildings with the 

exception of California.
B-15

Part B

B.3.8 Becoming Familiar with Applicable Codes

Both owners and operators should become familiar with the seismic 

rehabilitation requirements imposed in their building inventory’s jurisdictions 

by building codes or other codes and ordinances, currently or under 

discussion for the future such as rehabilitation codes, and take them into 

account in planning activities.

B.3.9 Establishing and Maintaining a Roster of Design 

Professionals

Both owners and operators should develop and maintain a roster of 

architects, engineers, and other consultants with expertise in the fields 

of seismic assessment of buildings, seismic design, and risk analysis to 

quickly make use of their specialized expertise when needed. Such qualified 

professionals can be identified with the assistance of professional societies, 

such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of 

Architects, or the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

B.3.10 Negotiating Code Enforcement

Discuss the owner’s or operator’s planned incremental seismic rehabilitation 

actions with the applicable code enforcement authorities.

Building codes impose requirements on the implementation phase in cases 

of repair, alteration, or addition to existing buildings. These requirements may 

be enforced by a state or local agency. Such requirements can add costs to a 

project and jeopardize feasibility if not taken into account.

Although additions must comply with building code seismic requirements, 

few codes mandate seismic rehabilitation in repair and alteration projects. 

Incremental seismic rehabilitation is consistent with most building code 

requirements applicable to existing buildings.

If applicable, negotiate with code enforcement authorities an optimization 

of life safety and risk reduction when undertaking seismic rehabilitation. 

Some code enforcement agencies negotiate required life safety and other 

improvements with owners of existing buildings who undertake voluntary 

building rehabilitation. Such negotiations attempt to strike a compromise 

between safety, feasibility, and affordability.

B.4 Additional Components of a Comprehensive 

Earthquake Safety Program

In addition to integrating an incremental seismic rehabilitation program 

into the hotel and motel facility management process and integrating 

opportunities to support and implement such a program, there are additional 

activities that can become part of a comprehensive earthquake safety 

program for hotel and motel buildings. These activities can be implemented 

by the operator at any time.

B.4.1 Building Contents Mitigation

Communicate with maintenance staff to initiate housekeeping or maintenance 

measures to reduce or eliminate risks from earthquake damage to equipment, 

furnishings, and unsecured objects in buildings. Work may include such 

tasks as:

 Fastening desktop equipment

In Brief

Two additional 

components of an 

earthquake safety 

program can be 

initiated.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

B-16

Anchoring display cases, bookcases, file cabinets, storage shelves, 

and other large furnishings

Restraining objects on shelves

Securing the storage of hazardous materials such as chemicals

FEMA has developed materials that contain information on contents 

mitigation. These include FEMA 74, Reducing the Risk of Nonstructural 

Earthquake Damage: A Practical Guide, and FEMA 241, Identification and 

Reduction of Nonstructural Earthquake Hazards in Schools. (While the latter 

primarily addresses schools, it is equally applicable to other facility types.)

B.4.2 Earthquake Drills

Introduce earthquake drills and appropriate earthquake preparedness 

materials into the regular hotel and motel building emergency preparedness 

program. Knowing what to do and where to go in an emergency can be 

critical to life safety in earthquakes.

B.5 Preparing a Plan for the CEO and the Board

This section provides guidance to hotel and motel facility managers, risk 

managers, and financial managers when preparing a proposal for a seismic 

safety program in response to top management’s request.

The owner’s or operator’s facility, risk, and financial managers should prepare 

a proposal for a seismic risk reduction program. This proposal should be 

based on an analysis of each of the elements of an incremental seismic 

rehabilitation program (B.2.2), opportunities for seismic risk reduction (B.3), 

and additional components (B.4) as discussed above. The proposal should 

include the following elements:

A discussion of each recommendation in Part B from the perspective 

of the owner’s or operator’s current facility management, risk 

management, and financial management practices. This may take the 

form of a comprehensive rewriting of Part B.

A specific plan and recommendation for initiating the first two 

steps following building acquisition, change of management, and 

redevelopment, Seismic Screening and Seismic Evaluation. The 

plan should include a budget and schedule of activities.

A request for the budget for these first steps.

If the necessary resources are available to the facility manager, perform a 

rapid visual screening, as outlined in B.2.2.4, prior to preparing the program 

proposal. Then, expand the proposal based on the known inventory of 

potentially vulnerable buildings as determined in the screening process.

If the owner or operator has a current 5-year capital improvement plan or its 

equivalent, add the following details to the proposal discussed above:

Identify existing buildings currently included for rehabilitation in the 

current 5-year plan.

Perform a preliminary review of their seismic vulnerabilities, as 

outlined in B.2.2.4.

Using Part C of this manual, identify potential seismic rehabilitation 

increments that could be integrated with the rehabilitation program.



















In Brief

There are three options 

to propose a seismic 

safety program.
B-17

Part B

Add a FEMA 356, Prestandard and Commentary for the Seismic 

Rehabilitation of Buildings, seismic rehabilitation design task to the 

rehabilitation projects.

Summary of Part B

Planning for earthquake risk reduction in hotel and motel buildings 

requires a coordinated and integrated effort by facility managers, risk 

managers, and financial managers of both the owner and operator 

organizations.

Eleven specific activities can be added to the current facility 

management process to implement an incremental seismic 

rehabilitation program.

1. Due Diligence Analysis

2. Operator Risk Reduction Standards

3. Initial Integration Opportunities

4. Seismic Screening

5. Seismic Evaluation

6. Developing a Risk Reduction Policy

7. Seismic Rehabilitation Planning for Specific Buildings

8. Staging Seismic Rehabilitation Increments

9. Budget Packaging

10. Financial Packaging

11. Seismic Rehabilitation Project Management

Ten additional activities can be added to the facility management 

process to further reduce seismic risk.

Two additional components of an earthquake safety program can be 

initiated.

There are three options to propose a seismic safety program.

Recommended Actions

Prepare an analysis of your buildings using Part B of this manual as 

a guide.

Based on this analysis, prepare a seismic risk reduction plan for top 

management that includes the costs and benefits of such a plan.

Adopt a comprehensive earthquake safety program and begin to 

implement incremental seismic rehabilitation in your buildings.







��

��







1.

2.

3.

C-1

Part C

C

Tools for Implementing 

Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation in Existing 

Hotel and Motel Buildings

For Facility Managers

Introduction

An owner or operator of hotel and motel buildings 

or a hotel and motel facility manager charged with 

the responsibility of implementing a program of 

incremental seismic rehabilitation may be entering 

unfamiliar territory. Part C of this manual is intended 

to provide the owner, operator, and facility manager 

with information and tools regarding building systems, 

maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation that should be 

of assistance in implementing such a program.

A program of incremental seismic rehabilitation is likely to be more affordable 

and less disruptive if specific increments of seismic rehabilitation are 

integrated with other maintenance and capital improvement projects that 

would be undertaken regardless of whether or not seismic issues were being 

addressed.

Guide to Sections C.1 and C.2

Section C.1, How to Use Engineering Services, provides the facility manager 

with practical information on the special services offered by seismic 

rehabilitation professionals. Several essential activities must be carried 

out by the facility manager in order to successfully implement a program 

of incremental seismic rehabilitation. (These activities are identified and 

Part
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-2

discussed in Part B of this manual.) Some of these activities may require 

professional architectural and engineering services that differ from or exceed 

the traditional services usually retained by hotel and motel building owners.

Section C.2, Discovering Integration Opportunities for Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation, provides the facility manager with a set of tools to link specific 

increments of seismic rehabilitation with specific maintenance and capital 

improvement projects. These tools will assist the facility manager in defining 

appropriate scopes of work for projects that will include incremental seismic 

rehabilitation actions.

Appendix II to this manual, Integration Opportunities for Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation for Small Organizations and Individual Owners, presents 

integration opportunities for owners with limited professional facility 

management support, who are also likely to be their own operators. 

A companion document, Engineering Guideline for Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation, FEMA 420, provides design professionals with additional 

technical guidance for the detailed design of specific rehabilitation projects.

C.1 How to Use Engineering Services 

To successfully implement integrated incremental seismic rehabilitation, a 

hotel owner or operator should retain engineering services for three specific 

phases:

Seismic screening and evaluation

Incremental seismic rehabilitation planning and design

Construction period support

In the case of managed—as opposed to franchised—hotels and motels, the 

operator may recommend that the owner retain these engineering services, 

or the owner may retain the services of the operator’s architect/engineer.

Seismic Screening and Evaluation

Seismic screening and evaluation of the owner’s hotel and motel building 

inventory begins with a review of archival drawings and specifications, if 

available, to determine the types of construction used. This determination is 

essential for all subsequent phases. If drawings and specifications are not 

available, this determination must be made on the basis of visual inspection. 

In the case of potentially vulnerable buildings, the operator may initiate such 

a review.

Following this review, building inventories at one location or region should 

be screened in a process based on FEMA 154, Rapid Visual Screening of 

Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards: A Handbook, Second Edition. The 

goal of the screening is to identify vulnerabilities in the inventory. Buildings 

that have little or no vulnerability are removed from further scrutiny.

For the buildings identified as vulnerable, the next category of service is a 

detailed seismic evaluation using ASCE 31, Seismic Evaluation of Existing 

Buildings, which is based on FEMA 310, Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation 

of Existing Buildings: A Prestandard. Hotel and motel building owners 

with few buildings, or operators concerned about potential vulnerability 

of a particular building, may begin with this evaluation, which addresses 

individual buildings and identifies both structural and nonstructural 

deficiencies that require rehabilitation. The output of each building evaluation 

is a list, possibly prioritized, of needed specific rehabilitation actions.







In Brief

 Engineering 

services should be 

retained for three 

specific phases: 

seismic screening 

and evaluation, 

incremental seismic 

rehabilitation 

planning and design, 

and construction 

period support.

 Continuity of building 

documentation is of 

special importance.
C-3

Part C

An owner or operator may retain the services of a single engineering firm 

to perform both the screening and evaluation, or it can retain a firm for 

screening and one or more firms for building evaluation.

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Planning and Design

A complete seismic rehabilitation plan covering all the deficiencies 

identified in the evaluation should be prepared for each building that has 

been evaluated. This can be done using ASCE 31 and FEMA 356, Seismic 

Rehabilitation of Buildings. However, in incremental seismic rehabilitation 

the correction of all the deficiencies is not implemented at once, but rather 

in discrete increments over a period of time. In order to accomplish this, it is 

necessary to carry out four specific steps:

Establish target seismic performance levels

Prioritize seismic rehabilitation opportunities

Define increments

Integrate seismic rehabilitation into maintenance and capital 

improvement programs

Each of these steps, and how it relates to owner and operator responsibilities, 

is amplified in the discussion of the hotel and motel building planning phase 

in Section B.2.

The potential for unintentional weakening of the building as the result of a 

particular increment should be carefully analyzed and must be avoided. This 

subject is discussed in more detail in the companion document, Engineering 

Guideline for Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation, FEMA 420.

Seismic rehabilitation planning and design may be carried out by the same 

engineering firm that performed the evaluation, or by a separate firm. Close 

coordination with the owner’s and operator’s risk management functions is a 

prerequisite for the successful implementation of performance objectives and 

prioritization steps. The definition of increments and integration of activities 

will also require close coordination with financial managers so as to be 

consistent with budgeting and funding processes, as discussed in Part B. The 

contractual agreement covering this work should reflect the fact that some 

of the work is implemented immediately and some of the work is left to the 

future.

Construction Period Support

Construction period support for incremental seismic rehabilitation is much 

the same as for any other construction project. The plans and specifications 

should be implemented correctly, and all specified quality control measures 

should be followed. All substitutions or changes should be carefully analyzed 

by the design professionals in terms of their seismic implications. Particular 

attention should be paid to the proper bracing and anchorage of nonstructural 

elements undergoing rehabilitation.

Continuity of Building Documentation

Assuring the continuity of building documentation is of particular importance 

for incremental seismic rehabilitation. The rehabilitation of each individual 

building may be staged over a period of several years or decades as 

discussed in Section B.2. The screening, evaluation, planning, and design 

may be split among several engineering firms. Institutional memory may 

disappear as owner or operator personnel, and even building ownership and/

or operation, changes. It is therefore essential that the hotel and motel facility 








Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-4

manager document all aspects and requirements of seismic rehabilitation 

from the earliest building screening through evaluation, seismic rehabilitation 

planning, and completion of each increment of seismic rehabilitation, paying 

special attention to the scheduling of follow-up requirements and actions over 

time.

Fees for Professional Services

The professional services required to implement incremental seismic 

rehabilitation, as discussed above, clearly exceed the scope of traditional 

architectural/engineering design services. An appropriate fee structure 

for these new services will need to be developed and integrated into the 

budgeting process.

C.2 Discovering Integration Opportunities for 

Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation

In order to benefit from opportunities to integrate incremental seismic 

rehabilitation with other maintenance and capital improvement activities, it 

is useful to discuss these activities as they are typically undertaken in hotel 

and motel buildings. Most hotel and motel building owners and operators are 

familiar with their respective building inventories and the related patterns of 

maintenance and capital improvement. A significant parameter of patterns of 

maintenance and capital improvement may be the operator’s or franchiser’s 

hotel brand standards. Aggregate national data is of no particular relevance to 

a given owner or operator, but may be of general interest and is summarized 

in the sidebar on the opposite page.

Categories of Maintenance and Capital Improvement Projects 

Hotel and motel owners and operators often categorize maintenance and 

capital improvement projects in two groups: escrow improvements (usually 

under the authority of the operator) and outside escrow improvements 

(usually under the authority of the owner, but sometimes required by the 

operator). Within these groups are the following nine categories of projects:

Outside escrow

Roofing maintenance and repair/re-roofing

Exterior wall and window maintenance/façade modernization

Fire and life safety improvements

Public and service area modernization (usually at acquisition or 

change of operator)

Underfloor and basement maintenance and repair

Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrade and 

energy conservation/indoor air quality improvement

Hazardous materials abatement (usually at acquisition or change of 

operator)

Escrow

Guestroom finishing, furniture, and equipment (FF&E) 

Public area FF&E 

These categories reflect groupings of building elements, administrative 

and funding categories, categories of spaces, or other parameters. Some 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

In Brief

 Opportunities 

to add seismic 

rehabilitation 

increments exist 

within most major 

maintenance and 

capital improvement 

activities.

 Incremental seismic 

rehabilitation 

opportunities 

are suggested 

for nine specific 

maintenance and 

capital improvement 

categories.
C-5

Part C

owners or operators may use other categorizations of maintenance 

and capital improvement work. The purpose of this discussion is not to 

impose any particular categorization of work, but simply to demonstrate 

the characteristics of a given item of planned work that may make it 

particularly suitable for integration with particular incremental seismic 

rehabilitation measures. These pairings of seismic rehabilitation measures 

with other categories of work are referred to in this section as “integration 

opportunities.” Owners, operators, and facility managers using this manual 

are encouraged to modify the work categories to suit their own practices. 

Work Descriptions and Matrices of Seismic Performance 

Improvement Opportunities

Nine sections, C.2.1 through C.2.9, provide the facility manager with 

information used to identify incremental seismic rehabilitation opportunities 

that can be combined with maintenance and capital improvement projects. 

The information becomes a tool, a technical framework or basis for action, 

that can be communicated to the architect or engineer selected to work on 

any project resulting from an integration opportunity. 

These sections present the expanded descriptions of each of the work 

categories defined above in a consistent format. Each category is described in 

terms of:

General description 

Physical description 

Associated incremental rehabilitation work 

Performance of the work 

Special equipment 

Impact on building use

Matrices of possible specific integration opportunities, one matrix for each 

work category (Tables C-1 through C-5), accompany the descriptions of the 

first five categories of maintenance and capital improvement projects. These 

include:

Roofing maintenance and repair/re-roofing

Exterior wall and window maintenance/façade modernization 

Fire and life safety improvements

Public and service area modernization

Underfloor and basement maintenance and repair

The integration opportunities for the next two categories of work are defined 

by reference to one or more of these five matrices. An additional matrix 

of integration opportunities (Table C-6) is provided for the work category 

“guestroom finishing, furniture, and equipment (FF&E),” and the integration 

opportunities for the final work category, “public area FF&E,” are defined by 

reference to one of the six matrices.

Note that “hotel and motel building additions” are a category of typical capital 

improvement that is not included among the nine categories listed at the 

beginning of this section. Additions may have been constructed on hotel and 

motel buildings over the course of their useful lives. Current additions will be 

designed to meet the seismic requirements of the building code. Additions 

may also offer opportunities to strengthen an adjacent building or buildings. 

These opportunities require careful design and analysis, and they are not 























Generalized 

Maintenance 

and Capital 

Improvement 

Data

Whitestone Research (a 

private market research 

organization) indicates 

that expenditures 

for maintenance 

and repairs over a 

building’s life exceed 

replacement costs for 

most building types 

and configurations, 

including hotels and 

motels.

The predominant 

categories of 

maintenance and 

repair activities for 

small motels (the only 

category reported) 

are, first, mechanical 

systems, followed by 

plumbing systems, 

interior finishes, and 

interior construction. 

All these activities 

offer opportunities 

for integration with 

incremental seismic 

rehabilitation work.

The timing of the 

work is also highly 

predictable. The top 

6 years of expense 

account for about 52% 

of building replacement. 

With regularity, years 

10, 20, 25, 30, 40, and 

50 are the highest 

expense years, in 

roughly increasing 

order, with year 50 

incurring about 15% of 

replacement costs for 

outsourced repair and 

renovation expenses.

These patterns suggest 

significant opportunity 

(and tendency) to 

implement strategies 

like incremental 

rehabilitation at specific 

points over the service 

life of a hotel or motel 

building. They also 

imply specific target 

periods when the 

strategies could most 

likely be considered and 

implemented. Building 

age becomes a very 

important characteristic 

for incremental seismic 

rehabilitation.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-6

specifically identified in the integration opportunities matrices (Tables C-1 

through C-6). Furthermore, inadequately designed additions, without proper 

joints or connections to the existing building, could actually cause damage in 

an earthquake as different sections of the building pound against each other.

The seismic performance improvements shown in the matrices fall into three 

categories:

 Indicates improvements that can be implemented when the 

integration opportunity arises, on the basis of a quick evaluation 

by a design professional. These types of improvements address 

deficiencies that may be identified in an ASCE 31, Seismic Evaluation 

of Existing Buildings, Tier 1 analysis. 

 Indicates improvements that can be implemented when the 

integration opportunity arises and that require engineering design. 

These types of improvements address deficiencies that may be 

identified in an ASCE 31 Tier 1 or Tier 2 analysis. 

 Indicates improvements that require engineering analysis to 

determine if they should be implemented when the integration 

opportunity arises to avoid unintentionally increasing the seismic 

vulnerability by redistributing loads to weaker elements of the 

structural system (sequencing requirements). 

The absence of any of these symbols in a matrix cell indicates that the 

improvement in question is not applicable to the particular structural type. 

The specific placement of each of these symbols (, , ) or the absence of 

a symbol is based on professional judgment considering typical construction. 

However, exceptions leading to changes in these categories may arise in 

specific buildings.

Integration opportunities for incremental seismic rehabilitation are a function 

of three levels of seismicity: low, moderate, and high. The definitions of these 

levels are those used in ASCE 31, Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings,

and FEMA 356, Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings. They include both seismic 

zonation and soil conditions. The soil conditions at the site may affect the 

level of seismicity and must be taken into account. For example, soft soil 

may amplify seismic forces on some buildings. The method for determining 

the level of seismicity is given in Section 2.5 of ASCE 31. Significantly fewer 

seismic improvements are recommended for low levels of seismicity than 

for the higher levels because seismic vulnerability is lower. The seismic 

improvements recommended for moderate and high levels of seismicity are 

the same in number, but differ in the details of the improvements to reflect 

the different magnitudes of seismic loads encountered in the two levels.

Incremental seismic rehabilitation integration opportunities for each category 

of work are a function of building structural type. This manual uses five 

broad structural types, selected to be meaningful to hotel and motel facility 

managers. The materials used for the building’s vertical load-resisting system 

can be used to categorize the following structural types:

wood

unreinforced masonry

reinforced masonry

concrete 

steel

The latter two structural types, concrete and steel, are broken down further 

into those with wood floors and roofs (flexible diaphragms) and concrete 










C-7

Part C

floors and roofs (rigid diaphragms). This breakdown covers an important 

parameter that determines how lateral loads are distributed to load-resisting 

elements of the structures. Structures with flexible diaphragms distribute 

earthquake loads based on proportional or tributary area between shearresisting elements (shear walls or frames). Flexible diaphragms allow a 

straightforward analysis of loads in each shear element. Structures with 

rigid diaphragms distribute earthquake loads based on the relative rigidity 

of the individual shear-resisting elements. Rotational (twisting) forces may 

be introduced that must also be resisted by these and other elements. Rigid 

diaphragms require more detailed analysis that may have to be conducted for 

each increment of the proposed strengthening program.

The facility manager using this section to identify incremental seismic 

rehabilitation integration opportunities in a particular building should use 

Sections C.2.1 through C.2.9 and the matrices therein as follows:

 Determine the category of maintenance or capital improvement 

under consideration, and go to the section that corresponds most 

closely to that category.

 Determine the level of seismicity applicable to the building by 

considering the seismic map and the soil conditions, and identify the 

applicable rows of the matrix.

 Determine which of the seven structural categories most closely fits 

the building, and identify the applicable column of the matrix.

 List all the nonstructural and structural seismic improvements 

identified in the matrix column and rows.

 Note the category of each improvement (, , ).

The facility manager should present to the architect or engineer the annotated 

list of all the nonstructural and structural seismic improvements identified 

for consideration and inclusion in the respective scope of design work. 

The architect or engineer should design the project using the companion 

document, Engineering Guideline for Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation,

FEMA 420, which includes more detailed guidance on incremental seismic 

design. The architect or engineer designing the incremental seismic 

rehabilitation program will most likely break down the seven structural type 

categories into further subcategories, as used in ASCE 31 or FEMA 356. These 

categories and subcategories are discussed in detail in FEMA 420.

Definitions of Seismic Performance Improvements

The seismic performance improvements, both nonstructural and structural, 

that are included in the matrices of integration opportunities described in 

the preceding paragraphs and included in Sections C.2.1 through C.2.5 and 

Section C.2.8, are all extracted from a generic list of seismic performance 

improvements. The generic list is presented in Section C.2.10, which includes 

brief related explanations for each item on the list. The user of this manual can 

identify specific seismic performance improvements in the respective project 

category matrices and may then refer to these definitions for additional 

explanation of the involved activities.

The generic nonstructural improvements in C.2.10 are numbered from 1 to 22 

for ease of reference. The improvements selected from this list for inclusion 

in each of the matrices in C.2.1 through C.2.5 and C.2.8 are presented in the 

same order and retain their respective number. This explains the occasional 

skipping of a number when a specific nonstructural improvement is omitted 

because it is not applicable in the particular matrix.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-8

The generic structural improvements in C.2.10 are arranged in the order of 

structural subsystems and elements. The improvements selected from this 

list for inclusion in each of the matrices in C.2.1 through C.2.5 and C.2.8 are 

presented in the same order.

Simplified Information on Integration Opportunities

Small organizations or individual owners or franchisees with limited facility 

management support may wish to concentrate initially on integration 

opportunities for incremental seismic rehabilitation that can be identified 

on the basis of a quick evaluation by a design professional (i.e., those 

opportunities designated in the integration opportunity matrices by the 

symbol ). Appendix II, Integration Opportunities for Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation for Small Organizations and Individual Owners, includes 

a simplified matrix that displays these opportunities for all categories of 

maintenance and capital improvement projects.

Owners using this appendix should retain the services of an earthquake 

engineer to identify other integration opportunities as well as to determine 

the applicable seismicity.

Category 1

Roofing 

Maintenance and

Repair/Re-roofing

C.2.1 Roofing Maintenance and Repair/Re-roofing

General Description of the Work: This category of work, usually outside 

escrow, includes repair or replacement of any or all of the following elements: 

Roof drainage system 

Eaves and fascias

Flashing and vents 

Roofing membrane 

Insulation

Walking surface and ballast 

Parapets and caps

Roof-mounted equipment

Roof deck

Most roof maintenance and repair work is done either in response to a failure 

or as scheduled periodic maintenance or preventive maintenance work. Most 

seismic rehabilitation integration opportunities for this work category will relate 

to either scheduled or preventive maintenance. Placement of roof-mounted 

equipment usually relates to other work categories such as HVAC upgrade. 

In some jurisdictions an application for a re-roofing permit triggers a code 

requirement to implement specific seismic rehabilitation such as parapet 

bracing.

Physical Description of the Work: Work on the roof may be localized 

to specific areas, may extend to the entire perimeter of the roof, or may 

involve the complete roof surface or large portions of it. Work may be limited 

to the roofing membrane or may include work on the substrate, deck, and 

supporting system. 

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: Incremental 

seismic rehabilitation associated with roofing maintenance and repair may 

include strengthening diaphragms, improving diaphragm/wall connections, 

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C-9

Part C

bracing parapets and chimneys, and improving equipment attachment and 

bracing. All of this work is also likely to be outside escrow.

Performance of the Work: Repair work on the roof is often performed by 

hotel operator maintenance staff. Outside contractors may be used for more 

extensive work. 

This category of work may be subject to a business agreement between the 

operator and owner that addresses the owner’s needs for capital funds.

An architecture/engineering (A/E) firm is typically used in connection with the 

installation of mechanical, electrical, telecommunication, or similar equipment. 

Also, building owners often use the services of an A/E for preparation of 

re-roofing specifications and bid documents. Sometimes owners hire the 

operator’s A/E, while some owners prefer to do their own work.

Special Equipment: Scaffolding is sometimes used in connection with roof 

work. Cranes or hoists may be used to lift materials or equipment. 

Impact of Work on Building Use: Work on the roof generally does not 

interrupt building use, except for complete re-roofing including the deck, 

which will affect upper floor guestrooms and public spaces.

Table C-1: Roofing Maintenance and Repair/Re-roofing

Unreinforced MasonryReinforced MasonryWood DiaphragmConcrete DiaphragmWood DiaphragmConcrete Diaphragm
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-10

Category 2

Exterior Wall

and Window 

Maintenance/Façade 

Modernization

C.2.2 Exterior Wall and Window Maintenance/Façade 

Modernization 

General Description of the Work: Exterior wall and window maintenance 

may involve the following activities: 

Pointing 

Patching 

Painting

Caulking 

This category of work, usually outside escrow, may also include major 

projects such as: 

Window repair and replacement

Refinishing with new cladding or material 

Most exterior wall maintenance and repair work is done in response to failure 

or as scheduled periodic maintenance or preventive maintenance work. 

Caulking and window repair and replacement are also often linked to energy 

conservation/weatherization work. 

Façade modernization is often done as redevelopment work following an 

acquisition. The extent and nature of the work is likely to be a function of the 

operator’s or franchiser’s hotel or motel brand standards.

Physical Description of the Work: Work is usually carried out throughout 

an entire hotel or motel building as a scheduled maintenance activity, 

although localized patching work is possible. Work may include:

Repainting brick exterior walls

Repairing balconies 

Replacing windows 

Improving energy conservation 

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: Strengthening 

of shear walls and improvement of diaphragm/wall connections. This work is 

also likely to be outside escrow.

Performance of the Work: Exterior wall and window work may be 

performed by skilled construction personnel on the operator’s staff or by an 

outside contractor. 

This category of work may be subject to a business agreement between the 

operator and owner that addresses the owner’s needs for capital funds.

In many cases, an A/E may be involved to provide design, specifications, bid 

process, and construction administration services. Sometimes owners hire 

the operator’s A/E, while some owners prefer to do their own work.

Special Equipment: Access to higher exterior areas may require scaffolding 

or swing stages. This access may provide economical opportunities for the 

integration of seismic rehabilitation measures. 

Impact on Building Use: Since most of the work is being performed from 

the building exterior, it may be possible to accomplish the work throughout 

the year. However, some of the seismic rehabilitation measures may be noisy 

or require access from the interior, so this work may have to be done when 

guestrooms are vacant, which would affect occupancy.

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C-11

Part C

Table C-2: Exterior Wall and Window Maintenance/Façade Modernization Unreinforced Masonry Reinforced Masonry Wood Diaphragm

Concrete DiaphragmWood DiaphragmConcrete Diaphragm
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-12

C.2.3 Fire and Life Safety Improvements

General Description of the Work: Fire and life safety improvements may 

involve the following building elements: 

Corridors and doors 

Stairs

Lobbies 

Exits

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Category 3

Fire and Life Safety 

Improvements

Alarm systems 

Standpipes 

Automatic fire sprinkler systems 

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In hotel and motel buildings, this work, typically outside escrow, will usually 

be identified as part of due diligence at the time of acquisition or change of 

management. Only if the work is in response to a disaster, such as a fire, will 

the work be unplanned. However, repairs following a disaster may provide an 

opportunity to integrate seismic safety improvements.

This category of work may be mandated by a fire marshal inspection, but 

some operators may adopt their own fire safety standards that exceed code 

requirements. Some codes may also require seismic rehabilitation when a 

building experiences a significant amount of damage in a disaster such as 

fire, flood, or earthquake.

Physical Description of the Work: Fire and life safety improvements 

usually involve the building’s means of egress, which will affect specific 

internal spaces. Often the work is near the center of the building, such as 

in the corridors and stairwells. In some cases, it may affect spaces on the 

building perimeter, such as lobbies, entrances, and stairways. Items include: 

Removing and replacing corridor wall finishes, doors, transoms, and 

equipment (e.g., cabinets) to provide access to walls and ceilings

Installing new walls or altering existing walls at fire separations and 

stairway enclosures

Installing new stairways within the building or on the exterior, which 

may require removing part of a floor and constructing new walls

Installing alarms, standpipes, or sprinklers which may provide access 

to concealed spaces

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: Incremental 

seismic rehabilitation work associated with fire and life safety improvements 

may include adding or strengthening shear walls and bracing, improving 

beam/column connections and diaphragm to wall anchorage, and adding or 

improving bracing and fastening of equipment. All of this work is also likely to 

be outside escrow, with the possible exception of equipment bracing.

Performance of the Work: Typically this work involves skilled construction 

personnel. These may be the operator’s personnel or contractors. In some 

cases, an A/E may be involved to provide design, specifications, bid process, 

and construction administration services. Sometimes owners hire the 

operator’s A/E, while some owners prefer to do their own work. 

This category of work may be subject to a business agreement between the 

operator and owner that addresses the owner’s needs for capital funds.

Special Equipment: No special equipment is required for this task except 

for scaffolding to provide access to the work areas. 

Impact on Building Use: Typically this work, especially if extensive, is 

performed prior to occupancy.

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C-13

Part C

Unreinforced MasonryReinforced MasonryWood DiaphragmConcrete DiaphragmWood DiaphragmConcrete Diaphragm

Table C-3: Fire and Life Safety Improvements
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-14

C.2.4 Public and Service Area Modernization

General Description of the Work: Public and related service area 

modernization is usually done by the owner soon after the acquisition of a 

new property or the change of an operator. It may also be done periodically 

thereafter, usually outside escrow, in order to keep up with the competition. 

The work is done with the guidance of the operator, and its extent and nature 

is likely to be a function of the operator’s or franchiser’s hotel or motel brand 

standards. It has the potential to involve any interior or exterior wall or 

element in the public areas, including lobbies, banquet rooms, ballrooms, 

dining rooms, kitchens, bars, specialty rooms, health clubs, swimming pools, 

etc. Where public and service areas are located in the basement, this work 

may include underfloor and basement work. This category may involve simple 

work on a single wall or the entire reconfiguration of the public areas. The 

installation of new equipment, ducts, pipes, conduit, cables, and wiring may 

involve the reconfiguration of concealed spaces under floors, above ceilings, 

and inside wall cavities and chases located throughout the building.

Physical Description of the Work: This work may include reconfiguration 

of spaces and creation of new spaces. Items include:

Removing walls and ceilings

Constructing new walls and partitions

Installing replacement finishes 

Installing ductwork, piping, and communications equipment

Access to spaces behind finishes and construction of new walls provide 

various opportunities for seismic rehabilitation work. 

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: Incremental 

seismic rehabilitation associated with this work may include adding or 

strengthening shear walls and bracing, improving beam/column connections 

and diaphragm to wall anchorage, and adding or improving bracing and 

fastening of equipment. All of this work is also likely to be outside escrow 

with the possible exception of equipment bracing.

In the case of public and service areas located in the basement, this work 

may include incremental seismic rehabilitation work associated with C.2.5, 

Underfloor and Basement Work. See Table C-5 in addition to Table C-4.

Performance of the Work: This work is usually performed by skilled 

construction personnel. Usually A/E design or interior design is used for this 

type of work. Sometimes owners hire the operator’s A/E, while some owners 

prefer to do their own work.

Special Equipment: Special equipment required for access to work areas for 

any seismic rehabilitation construction will typically be available during any 

remodeling work. 

Impact on Building Use: Public and service area modernization is usually 

done prior to occupancy.

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Category 4

Public and Service 

Area Modernization
C-15

Part C

Unreinforced MasonryReinforced MasonryWood DiaphragmConcrete DiaphragmWood DiaphragmConcrete Diaphragm

Table C-4: Public and Service Area Modernization
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-16

C.2.5 Underfloor and Basement Maintenance and Repair

General Description of the Work: Underfloor and basement maintenance 

may involve the following activities: 

Repair of deterioration 

Repair of termite damage

Equipment replacement 

This category of work is most likely to be applicable in smaller hotel or motel 

buildings. In larger buildings, basements are likely to contain public and 

service spaces, parking, storage, and mechanical areas. In the latter case, 

underfloor and basement work may therefore be much more extensive, closer 

in scope to public and service area modernization.

Most underfloor repair activities will be in response to a problem. The solution 

may be immediate or assigned to the capital improvements budget. For 

example, settlement and resulting underpinning repair may be the result of a 

floor problem and require immediate intervention. 

Usually there are no mandates or code issues involved with underfloor repair 

work. Safety is the usual driving force. 

Physical Description of the Work: Work includes:

Replacing deteriorated wood elements

Repairing cracked or bowed walls

Repairing damaged or deteriorated floors, underpinning where 

buildings have settled

Replacing basement equipment 

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: Incremental 

seismic rehabilitation work associated with underfloor and basement work 

may include adding cripple stud bracing, improving foundation anchorage, 

adding new foundations, and improving floor to wall anchorage.

In the case of larger hotel and motel buildings, this work may include the 

incremental seismic rehabilitation work associated with C.2.4, Public and 

Service Area Modernization. See Table C-4 in addition to Table C-5.

Performance of the Work: The work is often performed by operator staff 

or by outside contractors. Major design work will often require A/E services. 

Sometimes owners hire the operator’s A/E, while some owners prefer to do 

their own work. 

This category of work may be subject to a business agreement between the 

operator and owner that addresses the owner’s needs for capital funds.

Special Equipment: Special equipment is usually not required for 

underfloor work. However, access to the area must be available. 

Impact on Building Use: Except for equipment replacement, the work may 

be done at any time, independent of building use. 

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Category 5

Underfloor 

and Basement 

Maintenance 

and Repair
C-17

Part C

Unreinforced MasonryReinforced MasonryWood DiaphragmConcrete DiaphragmWood DiaphragmConcrete Diaphragm

Table C-5: Underfloor and Basement Maintenance and Repair
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-18

C.2.6 HVAC Upgrade and Energy Conservation/Indoor Air 

Quality Improvement

General Description of the Work: HVAC upgrade, energy conservation, 

and indoor air quality improvement projects may include the following items: 

Exterior envelope work 

Insulation

Windows 

HVAC equipment 

Ducts and piping 

Building elements affected may include exterior walls, ceilings, attic spaces, 

roofs, and basements. 

These improvements, usually outside escrow, may be in response to the 

owner’s or operator’s long-range strategic plan or as part of other routine 

equipment replacement. In all cases the intent is not only to improve 

performance and reduce operating costs, but also to save energy and improve 

indoor air quality. 

Federal or state mandates may be factors leading to energy conservation 

improvements. If special grants are available, they can be made part of a 

program. Local building code requirements may also encourage energy 

conservation improvements.

Physical Description of the Work: The physical work involved in HVAC 

upgrade and energy conservation may be localized or involve the entire 

building. Items include: 

Improving or replacing windows 

Installing new insulation in exterior walls

Installing new insulation in the attic, which may permit access to the 

ceiling space

Installing new insulation on the roof deck, which may be coordinated 

with other roof-top work

Installing HVAC equipment, which should meet the anchorage 

requirements for seismic forces and may provide access to areas for 

other work

Adding air conditioning, which may include the installation of ducts 

or piping to spaces throughout the building 

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: This work may 

include the incremental seismic rehabilitation work associated with the 

following other project categories discussed earlier:

C.2.1 Roofing Maintenance and Repair/Re-roofing

C.2.2 Exterior Wall and Window Maintenance/Façade Modernization 

C.2.4 Public and Service Area Modernization

See Tables C-1, C-2, and C-4 for integration opportunities.

Performance of the Work: The work may be performed by operator 

personnel or by outside contractors, depending on the project size or 

complexity. Major design work will often require A/E services. Sometimes 

owners hire the operator’s A/E, while some owners prefer to do their own 

work. 

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Category 6

HVAC Upgrade 

and Energy 

Conservation/

Indoor Air Quality 

Improvement
C-19

Part C

This category of work may be subject to a business agreement between the 

operator and owner that addresses the owner’s needs for capital funds. In 

some cases, owners prefer to place indoor air quality work in the escrow 

category of projects. 

Special Equipment: Special equipment may be required to provide access 

to the work, including scaffolding or a crane or lift. 

Impact on Building Use: Some of this work may be done at any time of 

year from the roof and in public spaces. Most window or interior work must 

be accomplished when guestrooms are vacant. Typically this work cannot be 

done easily around occupants.

C.2.7 Hazardous Materials Abatement

General Description of the Work: The presence of hazardous materials 

may involve abatement of: 

Asbestos 

Lead paint 

Radon 

In hotel and motel buildings, this work, usually outside escrow, will usually 

be identified as part of due diligence at the time of acquisition or change of 

management.

Physical Description of the Work: Hazardous materials abatement may 

include the removal of finishes such as plaster, ceiling materials, and flooring 

throughout the guestrooms and public spaces. It may include removal 

of the adhesives used. Asbestos abatement may include the removal or 

encapsulation of insulation on pipes and ducts. Lead paint abatement may 

include removal of the paint and finishes or encapsulation of the component 

containing the lead paint. Radon abatement may require installation of 

ventilation systems or other work in the basement. 

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: In some cases, 

the extent of the work may provide access to interior spaces that will present 

a seismic rehabilitation opportunity. Seismic rehabilitation work could follow 

the hazard mitigation work before the finishes are reinstalled. This work 

may include the incremental seismic rehabilitation work associated with the 

following other project categories discussed earlier: 

C.2.3 Fire and Life Safety Improvements

C.2.4 Public and Service Area Modernization

See Tables C-3 and C-4 for integration opportunities.

Performance of the Work: The work is typically performed by specialty 

contractors.

This category of work may be subject to a business agreement between the 

operator and owner that addresses the owner’s needs for capital funds.

Special Equipment: Special equipment, such as scaffolding, would often be 

on the job as part of the abatement work. Other special equipment, such as 

fans and enclosures, are irrelevant to seismic work. 

Impact on Building Use: Building use will be curtailed during any 

hazardous materials abatement work. The work cannot be done around 

occupants. It requires vacant spaces.

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Category 7

Hazardous Materials 

Abatement
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-20

C.2.8 Guestroom Finishing, Furniture, and Equipment (FF&E)

General Description of the Work: Guestroom FF&E work, usually 

paid through a reserve fund escrow account, consists of the renovation 

of guestrooms on a fixed schedule. The replacement cycle for carpets, 

draperies, and other soft goods may be about seven years, and for finishes, 

built-ins, furniture, etc., it may be on the order of 12 years. Plumbing fixture 

replacement may be on a 12 to 15 year cycle. The work is usually done floor 

by floor, closing down three floors at a time. 

Physical Description of the Work: This work usually does not include 

reconfiguration of spaces or creation of new spaces, but rather the removal 

and replacement of wall finishes and the installation of new fixtures and 

appliances. The installation of new piping and ductwork may also be involved. 

Access to spaces behind finishes may provide some opportunities for seismic 

rehabilitation work. 

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: Incremental 

seismic rehabilitation work associated with guestroom FF&E work may 

include adding or strengthening shear walls and bracing, improving beam/

column connections and diaphragm to wall anchorage, and adding or 

improving bracing and fastening of equipment. Much of this work is likely to 

be outside escrow.

Performance of the Work: Typically this work involves skilled construction 

personnel. A/E design or interior design may be used. 

This work is usually done by the operator, who retains the A/E, but a recent 

trend is for owners to seek a larger role in guestroom FF&E work.

The integration of incremental seismic rehabilitation with guestroom FF&E 

work is likely to entail the use of both escrow and non-escrow funds, and will 

be subject to financial planning and a special agreement between owner and 

operator.

Special Equipment: Special equipment required for access to work areas for 

any seismic rehabilitation construction will typically be available during any 

remodeling work.

Impact on Building Use: Guestroom FF&E work is often scheduled during 

the lowest occupancy months, usually between December and March. 

Category 8

Guestroom 

Finishing, Furniture, 

and Equipment 

(FF&E)
C-21

Part C

Table C-6: Guestroom FF&E

Unreinforced MasonryReinforced MasonryWood DiaphragmConcrete DiaphragmWood DiaphragmConcrete Diaphragm
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-22

C.2.9 Public Area Finishing, Furniture, and Equipment (FF&E)

General Description of the Work: Public area FF&E work, usually paid 

through a reserve fund escrow account, consists of the renovation of 

restaurants, bars, and meeting rooms on a fixed schedule. The replacement 

cycle for carpets, draperies and other soft goods may be about seven years, 

and for finishes, built-ins, furniture, etc., it may be on the order of 12 years. 

Plumbing fixture replacement may be on a 12 to 15 year cycle. 

Physical Description of the Work: This work may include some 

reconfiguration of spaces or creation of new spaces in the public areas. It 

includes the removal and replacement of wall finishes and the installation 

of new fixtures and appliances. The installation of new piping and ductwork 

may also be involved. Access to spaces behind finishes may provide some 

opportunities for seismic rehabilitation work. 

Associated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Work: This work may 

include some of the incremental seismic rehabilitation work associated with 

C.2.4, Public and Service Area Modernization. See Table C-4.

Performance of the Work: Typically this work involves skilled construction 

personnel. A/E design or interior design may be used. 

This work is usually done by the operator, who retains the A/E, but a recent 

trend is for owners to seek a larger role in public area FF&E work.

The integration of incremental seismic rehabilitation with public area FF&E 

work is likely to entail the use of both escrow and non-escrow funds, and will 

be subject to financial planning and a special agreement between owner and 

operator.

Special Equipment: Special equipment required for access to work areas for 

any seismic rehabilitation construction will typically be available during any 

remodeling work.

Impact on Building Use: Public area FF&E work is often scheduled during 

the lowest occupancy months, usually between December and March, and 

entails closing down the areas for about three weeks.

C.2.10 Definitions of Seismic Performance Improvements

The seismic performance improvements included in the matrices of 

integration opportunities in Sections C.2.1–C.2.9 are all extracted from the 

generic list in the following tables. The tables contain additional information 

(description and purpose) that should be useful to hotel and motel facility 

managers using this section.

Category 9

Public Area

Finishing, Furniture, 

and Equipment 

(FF&E)
C-23

Part C

Nonstructural Seismic Performance Improvements

M m Fa

N * umber*

Level of Seismicity Definitioonnss aanndd PPuurrppoossee

L M H Seismic Performance

I� t mmpprroovveemmeenntt D n Deessccription P e urpose

1 � � � Anchorage of Canopies at Exits Canopies or roofs over exits. Prevent collapse of canopies that would block exits and

possibly cause injuries.

2 � � Anchorage and Detailing of

Rooftop Equipment

Equipment should be properly attached,

and restrained if isolation-mounted.

Prevent equipment from sliding or falling off platforms

due to connection failure or nonfunction.

3 � � Bracing and Detailing of

Sprinkler and Piping

Sprinkler pipes should be braced in each

direction.

Prevent sprinkler lines from breaking and flooding the

building.

4 � � Fastening and Bracing of

Equipment (Mechanical and

Electrical)

Equipment above ceilings. Prevent fans and other equipment from swaying and

falling on occupants; connections could fail resulting in

equipment no longer functioning.

5 � � � Bracing of Parapets, Gables,

Ornamentation, and

Appendages

Construct parapet bracing on the roof

side of the parapet. Gables are braced in

the attic space. Other elements are

anchored in a positive manner.

Prevent parapets, gables, and ornamentation from

falling outward.

6 � � Suspension and Bracing of

Lights

Lights may swing or otherwise fall in an

earthquake.

Prevent lights from falling and injuring occupants. Lights

should not be supported by a suspended ceiling in a

high or moderate seismic zone. Pendent lights should

have their sway limited.

7 � � Fastening and Bracing of

Ceilings

Diagonal bracing of ceiling. Suspended ceilings should be braced against sidesway

to reduce the chance of elements falling.

8 � � Attachment and Bracing of

Large Ductwork

Large ducts. Prevent ducts from falling on occupants.

9 � � � Anchorage and Bracing of

Emergency Lighting

Positive attachment of emergency lights. Prevent heavy battery packs from falling.

10 � � Shut-Off Valves Installation of a shut-off device. Gas and water lines could break and should have a

means of turning them off.

11 � � � Bracing or Reinforcing

Masonry Walls at Interior

Stairs

Interior exit stairs may have unreinforced

masonry enclosure walls that could

collapse.

Prevent collapse of walls that could block stairways.

12 � � Bracing of Interior Partitions

(Masonry and Wood)

Bracing may be vertical or diagonal

braces.

Interior partitions must be braced to prevent

falling/collapse.

13 � � Support and Detailing of

Elevators

Elevator guides have become dislodged

in earthquakes. Applies to cable lift

elevators.

Keep elevators functioning.

14 � � � Cladding Anchorage Heavy cladding (concrete) must be

connected to the structure.

Prevent cladding from falling. Careful design is required

so the cladding does not limit the structure s lateral

movement.

15 � � Anchorage of Masonry Veneer Veneer over exterior wood or masonry

walls or over other materials in steel or

concrete structure. Materials may be

brick, terra cotta, stone, or similar

materials.

Prevent inadequately anchored veneer from falling

outward onto pedestrians.

16 � � � Glazing Selection and Detailing Glass above a walking surface. Prevent exterior or interior glass from falling onto the

walking surface and causing injuries.

17 � � Anchorage of Exterior Wythe in

Cavity Walls

A masonry wall separated from the

veneer by a hollow space.

Prevent veneer from falling outward. Existing anchorage

should be checked for rust damage and loss of

strength.

18 � � Bracing or Removal of

Chimneys

Chimneys should be braced to the

structure.

Prevent chimneys from toppling into yards or through

roofs.

19 � � Anchorage of Steel Stud

Backup

Steel studs behind veneer or other

cladding.

Prevent steel studs used as a backup to support veneer

or other cladding from becoming detached or falling.

20 � � Restraint of Hazardous

Materials Containers

Chemical labs, shops, etc. may have

materials that could, when combined,

create a fire or chemical hazard.

Reduce danger of breakage and mixing of chemicals.

21 � � Attachment and Bracing of

Cabinets and Furnishings

Anchorage to structural walls or other

elements.

Prevent cabinets and other furnishings from toppling or

moving and causing damage. Fallen file cabinets may

block exit doors.

22 (n/a) � � Underfloor Bracing of

Computer Access Floor

Raised floors for cabling. Prevent floors from collapsing and damaging

equipment.

* Items numbered for ease of reference.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-24

Structural Seismic Performance Improvements

Level of Seismicity

B g uilding

E t lement

S l tructural

S - ub

S m yste

Definitions and Purpose

L M H Seismic Performance

I t mprovement D n escription P e urpose

  Foundation Anchor Bolts Connection between the foundation

and the building.

Improve load path. Prevent building from sliding

off foundation.

  Foundation Anchorage Connection between the foundation

and the building for larger buildings.

Improve load path. Provide adequate

connection between building and foundation.

  Foundation Cripple Stud Bracing Short wood studs between the

foundation and the first floor.

Cripple studs are usually not braced. Prevent

them from toppling and causing the building to

fall off the foundation.

  Foundation New Foundations New foundations to convey loads. Additional foundations may be the preferred

solution in some cases.

  Foundation Pile Cap Lateral Load Piles supporting buildings may try to

move laterally from building loads

during earthquakes.

Brace piles at their top to eliminate the chance

of lateral movement and reduce chance of

foundation failure.

  Foundation Uplift Under overturning type loads

foundations may be pulled upward.

Reduce the uplift chance by improving

foundation system; engineer should evaluate the

effects of uplift.

Definition Horizontal

Elements

Floors, mezzanines, and roofs.

Definition Horizontal

Elements

Diaphragms Floors and roofs connecting walls and

lateral force-resisting elements.

Diaphragms are the roof and floors of a

building. They must be of adequate strength to

transfer the earthquake loads to the walls and

other elements. The connection from the

diaphragm to the wall or other lateral forceresisting element is part of the load path.

  Horizontal

Elements

Diaphragms Attachment and

Strengthening at

Boundaries

Improving the connection of the

diaphragm to the edge/boundary

elements with nails, bolts, or welding.

This is part of the load path and conveys the

diaphragm forces into the walls or other lateral

force-resisting elements.

  Horizontal

Elements

Diaphragms Mezzanine Anchorage

and Bracing

Anchor the mezzanine to the wall.

Where there is an open side of the

mezzanine, bracing may be

necessary.

Make sure the mezzanine is attached to the

building to provide a load path for the

mezzanine diaphragm and to reduce any

pounding of the mezzanine against the

building's walls or columns. A large mezzanine

may require bracing on the open sides.

  Horizontal

Elements

Diaphragms Strength/Stiffness Strengthen the diaphragm to limit its

lateral deflection.

Control the movement of the diaphragm to

reduce the damage due to drift and to control

the out-of-plane loads on vertical elements.

  Horizontal

Elements

Diaphragms Strengthening at

Openings

Strapping around diaphragm

openings.

Openings may create a weak point in the

diaphragm. Straps will provide additional

strength to wood diaphragms.

  Horizontal

Elements

Diaphragms Strengthening at Reentrant Corners"L" and "U" shaped buildings have

stress concentrations at the interior

corners.

Reduce damage from cracking and failures

caused by stress concentration.

  Horizontal

Elements

Diaphragms Topping Slab for

Precast Concrete

Concrete slab over precast concrete

roof to create a continuous

diaphragm. Connect to the vertical

elements as part of a load path.

Strengthen the roof to act as a lateral force

element. Control drift of the roof or floor.

Definition Vertical

Elements

Braced

Frames

Steel or concrete beams and columns

with diagonal bracing.

Braced frames act as a lateral force-resisting

element. They are often used as the lateral

force-resisting element on open sides of

buildings. They must be connected to the

horizontal element as part of the load path.

  Vertical

Elements

Braced

Frames

Capacity/Stiffness Frame capacity improvements for

adequate load resistance.

Capacity and stiffness assure the adequacy of

the frame elements to resist loads.

  Vertical

Elements

Braced

Frames

Continuity Braced frames should be continuous

from the foundation to the roof.

Discontinuities of lateral force-resisting

elements create load transfer demands. Design

standards may impose higher loads for this

condition.

  Vertical

Elements

Braced

Frames

Connections The details of the connections (bolts

or welds) must be adequate.

Improvements to strength will not

have a negative effect on the phased

construction.

Braced frame connections assure the adequacy

of the frame elements to resist loads.

Improvements may be made by the addition of

steel plates with bolting or welding.

   Vertical

Elements

Load Path Lateral Force-Resisting

System to Diaphragm

Connection

Connections between roof/floor and

wall or other element.

Permit earthquake loads to be conveyed to the

foundation—develop a load path. This is the key

element in seismic safety.
C-25

Part C

Structural Seismic Performance Improvements (continued)

Level of Seismicity B g uilding

E t lement

S l tructural

S - ub

S m yste

Definitions and Purpose osf Structural Performance Improvements

L M H Seismic Performance

I t mprovement D n escription P e urpose

Definition Vertical

Elements

Moment

Frames

A steel or concrete system of beams

and columns.

Moment frames act as a lateral force-resisting

element and brace the structure. They are often

used as the lateral force-resisting element on

open sides of buildings. They must be

connected to the horizontal element as part of

the load path.

  Vertical

Elements

Moment

Frames

Beam Column

Capacity/Stiffness

Frame capacity improvements for

adequate load resistance.

Capacity and stiffness assure the adequacy of

the frame elements to resist loads.

  Vertical

Elements

Moment

Frames

Beam Column

Connection

Steel or concrete with improved

connections to increase strength.

Improvements will not have a

negative effect on the phased

construction.

Beam column connections assure the adequacy

of the frame elements to resist loads.

Improvements may be made by the addition of

steel plates with bolting or welding.

Definition Vertical

Elements

Shear Walls Walls that brace the building against

earthquakes.

Shear walls brace the structure. Building walls

can act as lateral load-resisting elements. They

must be connected to the horizontal elements

as part of the load path.

  Vertical

Elements

Shear Walls Capacity Capacity equals strength. Capacity assures the adequacy of walls to resist

loads.

  Vertical

Elements

Shear Walls Continuity Shear walls should be continuous

from the foundation to the roof.

Discontinuities of lateral force-resisting

elements create load transfer demands. Design

standards may impose higher loads for this

condition. This is one of the most cost-effective

improvements in buildings.

  Vertical

Elements

Shear Walls Extension of Wood

Interior Walls to Roof

Extending interior wood walls to

diaphragms in unreinforced masonry

and other buildings.

Permit walls that were not constructed full

height to be used as shear walls in buildings

with wood interior walls.

  Vertical

Elements

Shear Walls Lateral Stability Tall walls may buckle and need

bracing.

Prevent buckling and possible wall collapse.

Walls must be anchored at the top or may have

other bracing elements such as diagonal or

vertical braces.

   Vertical

Elements

Out-of-Plane

Anchorage of

Concrete or Masonry

Wall

Connections from the walls to the

floors and roof.

Prevent walls from falling outward due to

inadequate connections between the wall and

the diaphragms. A cost-effective mitigation

measure for bearing wall buildings.

   All

Elements

Load Path and

Collectors

Distribute loads from diaphragms into

lateral force-resisting elements.

These are straps of steel or wood that "collect"

load and distribute it into the vertical lateral

force-resisting elements. Connections may be

with bolts, nails, or welding, depending on the

material and location.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

C-26

Summary of Part C

Part C consists of recommended tools to enable the facility manager to 

implement incremental seismic rehabilitation.

Engineering services should be retained for three specific phases: 

seismic screening and evaluation, incremental seismic rehabilitation 

planning and design, and construction period support.

Continuity of building documentation is of special importance.

Opportunities to add seismic rehabilitation increments exist within 

most major maintenance and capital improvement activities.

Incremental seismic rehabilitation opportunities are suggested for 

nine specific maintenance and capital improvement categories.

Recommended Actions

1. Determine the category of maintenance or capital improvement 

under consideration.

2. Determine the level of seismicity applicable to the building.

3. Determine which of the seven structural categories most closely fits 

the building.

4. List all the nonstructural and structural seismic improvements 

identified as integration opportunities.

5. Note the category of each improvement (, , ).

6. Present to the architect or engineer the annotated list of all the 

nonstructural and structural seismic improvements identified for 

consideration and inclusion in the respective scope of design work.

7. The architect or engineer should design the project using the 

companion document, Engineering Guideline for Incremental 

Seismic Rehabilitation, FEMA 420.

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App I-1

Appendix I

Appendix I. 

Additional Information on 

Hotel and Motel Building 

Facility Management

Introduction: Typical Facility Management for Hotel 

and Motel Buildings

The typical facility management process for existing hotel and motel 

buildings consists of eight phases of activities: Acquisition, Change of 

Management, Redevelopment, Current Building Use, Planning, Maintenance 

& Rehabilitation Budgeting, Maintenance & Rehabilitation Funding, 

Maintenance & Rehabilitation Implementation, as diagrammed in Figure 1. 

This process is sequential, except that the first two—acquisition and change 

of management—can occur in either order, or simultaneously. Furthermore, 

change of management can occur any time in the process during the current 

building use phase. The process progresses from acquisition or change of 

management through implementation of rehabilitation in any given building. 

An owner or operator of a large inventory of buildings is likely to have 

ongoing activities in all of these phases in different buildings. Figure 1: Typical 

Management 

Process
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App I-2

This process is generic and, while variations may occur, it is generally 

followed by hotel and motel building owners and operators, either explicitly 

or implicitly.

Both internal and external factors typically influence the hotel and motel 

facility management process in its various phases. Internal factors 

(represented by up arrows in Figure 2) are generated within the owner and/

or operator organizations. External factors (down arrows) are imposed on 

owners and operators by outside entities. This classification of factors may be 

oversimplified, however, in that it considers the owner and operator of a hotel 

or motel facility a cohesive team subject to the same internal and external 

factors. In reality, there are a multitude of possible relationships between 

hotel owners and operators. A more sophisticated analysis may consider the 

owner’s internal factors as external to the operator, and vice versa. In any 

case, it is likely that the owner/operator agreement will assign responsibilities 

for activities required in response to these factors. 

This Appendix describes the activities and influences within each phase.

1. The ACQUISITION Phase of Hotel and Motel Facility 

Management

Typical Process

The acquisition of a hotel or motel may retain the current operator or it may 

include a new operator at the time of acquisition or soon thereafter. The 

acquisition phase of the typical hotel and motel facility management process 

consists of due diligence activities and is influenced by significant internal 

and external pressures, as depicted in Figure 3.

Hotel and motel building acquisitions initiate the facility management process 

for all owners who are not also developers or merchant builders. The due 

diligence process that precedes an acquisition is intended to identify, and 

Figure 2: 

Management 

Process Influences
App I-3

Appendix I

quantify if possible, all the liabilities or potential liabilities related to the asset 

being acquired.

For a given acquisition there may be several due diligence processes carried 

out by the various participants in the deal:

Owner (buyer)

Lender (if there is one)

Insurer

A multi-discipline team that includes legal, risk management, and engineering 

experts carries out the due diligence. Specialty consultants may be used. 

Because of the potential professional liabilities, legal questions are often 

the driving force in the process. The due diligence process also involves a 

walk-through of the building. Environmental risks, such as the presence of 

asbestos, are identified in the due diligence process.

Influences and Related Seismic Considerations

As indicated in Figure 3, two external factors (down arrow) and one internal 

factor (up arrow) influence acquisition phase decision making.

Market Conditions: External local conditions of the hospitality market are 

the principal factor governing hotel and motel building acquisition, regardless 

of the short-term or long-term strategic objectives of the purchaser. This is 

true for all types of owners, be they real estate investment trusts (REITs), 

pension fund or other fiduciary institutions, partnerships, or individuals.

Seismic Consideration

Studies in California suggest that regional and local earthquake hazards 

(presence of faults and their proximity, regional earthquake history, 

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Figure 3:

Acquisition
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App I-4

geological and local site factors, etc.) have little if any influence on 

the hospitality industry and levels of guestroom rates. Earthquake 

risk, in general, does not appear to translate into financial cost in the 

hospitality industry.

Lenders and Insurers: Lenders and insurers are important external 

participants in many hotel and motel building acquisitions, and each carry 

out due diligence functions to determine the risks and potential liabilities in 

any given deal. By their nature, lenders and insurers spread their risks over 

a wider range of investments than that presented to an owner in a specific 

acquisition. Lenders often have extensive influence on hotel and motel 

acquisitions. In doing so, they interact with the operator (who is not their 

customer) as well as the buyer. 

The insurers’ role in acquisition of hotels and motels is more complex 

and depends on whether the properties are franchised or managed by the 

operator. In franchised properties the owner’s liability is primary, and it is the 

owner who procures the insurance. In managed properties the operator’s 

liability is primary, and it is the operator who procures the insurance. The 

insurability of the acquired property and the cost of insurance are of great 

concern to hotel and motel owners and operators, but large owners and 

operators can spread the cost over a large number of properties. 

Seismic Consideration

Lenders and insurers usually employ engineering consultants to perform 

the seismic portion of the due diligence, and they use proprietary 

programs to carry out the analysis. The most common analysis used 

is the Probable Maximum Loss (PML) analysis, which quantifies the 

percentage of the property that will be lost in a major earthquake. Such 

an analysis is referred to as deterministic, and it does not consider 

the damages and losses that could result from more moderate but 

more frequent earthquakes. Lenders and insurers establish their own 

proprietary criteria for acceptable PML. Lenders often require seismic 

due diligence in California and the Pacific Northwest, and the extent to 

which it is done in other seismic regions is not known.

While insurers have recently been quite concerned about hurricane 

risks and have influenced hurricane mitigation investments, their 

pressure on seismic mitigation is negligible. Seismic insurance is driven 

by availability rather than cost, and large owners and operators can 

acquire insurance even for buildings on fault lines because the insurance 

is based on a blanket number of exposures and the modeling takes into 

account the total inventory of buildings.

Risk Management: Many hotel and motel building owners have formally 

established internal risk management functions within their organizations. 

These risk managers participate in the due diligence analyses carried out prior 

to acquisition. The rigor of internal due diligence varies from owner to owner.

Seismic Consideration

The owners’ internal seismic due diligence, whether carried out by 

in-house staff or consultants, is the PML analysis. Owners establish 

their own proprietary criteria for acceptable PML. Some large owners 

limit their PML analysis to California, Oregon, and Washington. 

Depending on the deal, the PML leads to one of three decisions about 

the acquisition:

Reject the deal if the PML exceeds a preset threshold,

Accept the deal with an initial rehabilitation, or

Accept the deal without rehabilitation.

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App I-5

Appendix I

Figure 4: Change 

of Management

2. The CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT Phase of Hotel and 

Motel Facility Management

Typical Process

A change of management occurs when the current owner enters into an 

agreement with a new operator for one or more properties, or it may be part 

of an acquisition. The change of management phase of the typical hotel and 

motel facility management process consists of due diligence activities and the 

application of the new operator’s risk reduction standards. It is influenced by 

significant internal and external pressures, as depicted in Figure 4.

Hotel and motel change of management initiates the facility management 

process for all new operators. The due diligence process that precedes a 

change of management, whether part of an acquisition or not, is intended to 

identify, and quantify if possible, all the liabilities or potential liabilities related 

to the asset in question.

For a given change of management there may be several due diligence 

processes carried out by the various participants in the deal:

Operator

Owner 

Insurer

A multi-discipline team that includes legal, risk management, and engineering 

experts carries out the due diligence. Specialty consultants may be used. 

Because of the potential professional liabilities, legal questions are often 

the driving force in the process. The due diligence process also involves a 

walk-through of the building. Environmental risks, such as the presence of 

asbestos, are identified in the due diligence process.

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Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App I-6

The new operator is likely to have in place risk reduction standards applied 

to all its managed properties. These may be articulated in the owner-operator 

agreement.

Influences and Related Seismic Considerations

As indicated in Figure 4, two external factors (down arrow) and one internal 

factor (up arrow) influence change of management phase decision making.

Market Conditions: External local conditions of the hospitality market 

are the principal factor governing hotel and motel building change of 

management. 

Seismic Consideration

Studies in California suggest that regional and local earthquake hazards 

(presence of faults and their proximity, regional earthquake history, 

geological and local site factors, etc.) have little if any influence on 

the hospitality industry and levels of guestroom rates. Earthquake 

risk, in general, does not appear to translate into financial cost in the 

hospitality industry.

Insurers: Insurers are important external participants in many hotel and 

motel changes of management, and they carry out due diligence functions 

to determine the risks and potential liabilities in any given deal. By their 

nature, insurers spread their risks over a wider range of investments than 

that presented to an owner and operator in a specific property. The insurers’ 

role in hotels and motels properties is complex and depends on whether 

the properties are franchised or managed by the operator. In franchised 

properties the owner’s liability is primary, and it is the owner who procures 

the insurance. In managed properties the operator’s liability is primary, and 

it is the operator who procures the insurance. The insurability of the acquired 

property and the cost of insurance are of great concern to hotel and motel 

owners and operators, but large owners and operators can spread the cost 

over a large number of properties. 

Seismic Consideration

Insurers usually employ engineering consultants to perform the seismic 

portion of the due diligence, and they use proprietary programs to 

carry out the analysis. The most common analysis used is the Probable 

Maximum Loss (PML) analysis, which quantifies the percentage of the 

property that will be lost in a major earthquake. Such an analysis is 

referred to as deterministic, and it does not consider the damages 

and losses that could result from more moderate but more frequent 

earthquakes. Insurers establish their own proprietary criteria for 

acceptable PML. 

While insurers have recently been quite concerned about hurricane risks 

and have influenced hurricane mitigation investments, their pressure 

on seismic mitigation is negligible. Seismic insurance is driven by 

availability rather than cost, and large owner and operators can acquire 

insurance even for buildings on fault lines because the insurance is 

based on a blanket number of exposures and the modeling takes into 

account the total inventory of buildings.

Risk Management: Many hotel and motel building owners, and most 

operators, have formally established internal risk management functions 

within their organizations. These risk managers participate in the due diligence 

analyses carried out prior to change of management. The rigor of internal 

due diligence varies from operator to operator. The operator’s risk reduction 

standards will have been previously established by their risk management, 

and will be applied to the property.

Seismic Consideration

The operators’ internal seismic due diligence, whether carried out by inhouse staff or consultants, is the PML analysis. Operators establish their 

own proprietary criteria for acceptable PML. Some large operators limit 
App I-7

Appendix I

their PML analysis to California, Oregon, and Washington. Depending 

on the deal, the PML leads to one of three decisions about the change 

of management:

Reject the deal if the PML exceeds a preset threshold,

Accept the deal with an initial rehabilitation, or

Accept the deal without rehabilitation.

However, hotel and motel operators do not currently have seismic 

mitigation as part of their risk reduction standards.

3. The REDEVELOPMENT Phase of Hotel and Motel 

Facility Management

Typical Process

The redevelopment phase of the typical hotel and motel facility management 

process consists of various types of capital improvements, and is 

influenced by significant internal and external pressures, as depicted in 

Figure 5.

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Figure 5:

Redevelopment

The types of redevelopment phase capital improvement projects vary as a 

function of the hotel and motel brand standards. They generally consist of:

Architectural upgrading of entrances, lobbies, and public areas.

Architectural upgrading of façades.

Upgrading of the HVAC systems. 

Modernization and upgrading of guestrooms.

Environmental and other risk remediation work identified in the due 

diligence process.

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Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App I-8

Influences and Related Seismic Considerations

As indicated in Figure 5, two external factors (down arrow) and one internal 

factor (up arrow) influence redevelopment phase decision making.

Market Conditions: Hotel and motel properties in a brand class must 

compete with neighboring, similarly branded properties. Local architectural 

traditions and fashions and historic preservation are significant factors 

determining the specific nature of various capital improvement projects.

Seismic Consideration

The extent of market-driven seismic improvement in hotel and motel 

buildings seems to be limited.

Lenders and Insurers: External lenders and insurers may require specific 

capital improvements as a condition of loans or insurance coverage. These are 

generally the direct result of the due diligence analyses. 

Seismic Consideration

The extent to which lenders or insurers have required seismic 

rehabilitation in hotel and motel buildings is not known.

Owner and Operator Policies: Owners’ and operators’ marketing and 

architectural policies are the principal internal factors governing capital 

improvement decisions in the redevelopment phase.

Seismic Consideration

Hotel and motel owners and operators have not established marketing 

and architectural policies that feature seismic rehabilitation, even when 

operators have articulated risk reduction standards.

4. The Current Building USE Phase of Hotel and Motel 

Facility Management

Typical Process

The current building use phase of the typical hotel and motel facility 

management process consists of four categories of activities and is influenced 

by significant internal and external pressures, as depicted in Figure 6.

Occupancy: This category of activity consists of the primary function 

of occupancy of guestrooms and public rooms by hotel guests. Support 

functions are administrative and managerial, such as collecting payments, 

operating food and drink services, operating recreational services such as 

a health club, pool, or spa, operating social services such as lecture rooms, 

meeting rooms, and conference facilities, and addressing guests’ concerns. 

The specific functions may vary depending on the hotel or motel brand 

standards.

Occupancy functions are carried out in each building by the guests and 

operators. Each of these functions is subject to seismic risk and can be 

disrupted by seismic damage.

Operation: Facility operation consists of all the activities and functions 

that the facility and its components must perform in order to support the 

occupancy. Examples are the mechanical functions (heating, cooling, and 

ventilation), electrical functions (lighting, communications, and alarm), and 

plumbing functions.

Operation functions may be carried out by the operator’s staff and/or by 

contractors. Each of these functions is subject to seismic risk and can be 

disrupted by seismic damage.
App I-9

Appendix I

Figure 6:

Use

Maintenance: Maintenance includes all the activities required to enable 

the occupancy and operation of the building to be carried out continuously 

over time. They can be broken down into custodial maintenance, routine 

maintenance, and repair.

Maintenance functions may be carried out by the operator’s staff and/or by 

contractors. 

Facility Assessment: Facility assessment consists of the survey or 

inspection of the hotel and motel buildings on a scheduled basis. It may also 

include a review of documents, such as archival building plans, for retrieving 

specific information. The purpose of the surveys or inspections is to determine 

facility conditions in relation to one or more of the following categories:

Guest and staff complaints

Maintenance needs

Preventive maintenance needs

Specific environmental hazards

asbestos

lead paint

lead 

radon

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Structural hazards

Fire/life safety

Environmental quality

Energy use/conservation

Accessibility

Other 

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These surveys may or may not be coordinated as to schedule, content, 

personnel, etc. Facility managers may or may not use prepared inspection 

forms or checklists. Finally, facility managers may vary as to the extent and 

specific nature of their record keeping and reporting.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App I-10

Influences and Related Seismic Considerations

As indicated in Figure 6, one external factor (down arrow) and one internal 

factor (up arrow) influence current building use phase decision making.

Federal and state programs: Various external programs may establish 

requirements affecting the use of hotel and motel buildings that have facilities 

implications (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] and Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] requirements). 

Seismic Consideration

Currently there are no seismic rehabilitation mandates or implications 

in any federal or state programs related to hotel and motel buildings, 

with the exception of California.

Specific surveys or inspections may be mandated by state or local laws/

programs. These surveys/inspections may be carried out by a variety of 

entities:

Federal personnel (e.g., from OSHA, Environmental Protection 

Agency [EPA])

State/city/county personnel (e.g., fire marshal, code enforcement, 

environmental, health)

Hotel and motel operator personnel (custodial or facility managers)

Hotel and motel contracted personnel (e.g., asbestos inspectors)

Consultants

Seismic Consideration

Currently there are no seismic survey or inspection mandates or 

implications in any federal or state programs related to hotel and motel 

buildings, with the possible exception of California. 

Complaints by Occupants: Internal complaints by guests and staff are a 

potentially significant pressure on the facility management process.

Seismic Consideration

Rarely, if ever, have there been complaints about seismic vulnerability 

generated by hotel and motel building occupants, with the possible 

exception of California. This is because seismic risk and seismic damage 

are not routine experiences in most regions of the United States. 

5. The PLANNING Phase of Hotel and Motel Facility 

Management

Typical Process

The planning phase consists of the projection and forecasting of future needs. 

It can be carried out periodically or continuously, and may vary as to the time 

period covered by the projections and forecasts. Planning functions may be 

carried out by the owner and/or operator, with or without the assistance of 

consultants. Planning consists of two separate but related activities—strategic 

planning and facility planning—and is affected by significant internal and 

external pressures, as depicted in Figure 7.

Strategic Planning: Strategic planning is carried out by both owners 

and operators of hotel and motel buildings. It attempts to formulate future 

business strategy by analyzing and forecasting financial trends as well 

as national, regional, and local hospitality markets. Many owners acquire 

properties for a limited period of time, and many have an exit strategy in 

place at the time of acquisition. Strategic planning addresses such issues as:

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App I-11

Appendix I

Figure 7:

Planning

Should the property brand be upgraded or downgraded?

Should the exit strategy be accelerated or prolonged?

Should trends in the insurance market revise current investment 

programs?

Should specific major capital investments be considered?

Strategic planning is usually carried out at the owner’s and operator’s 

respective headquarters, and concerns itself with the owner’s entire building 

portfolio and the operator’s entire management portfolio, or large segments 

of these portfolios.

Facility Planning: Facility planning consists of preparing short- and longrange facility plans. It combines the products of two distinct activities—the 

strategic plan and the facility assessment (see Figure 7)—into a detailed 

projection of facility requirements. The projection may cover a defined time 

frame, such as five years.

Different owners and operators may use different classifications of projects in 

their facility plans, reflecting a variety of legal, administrative, jurisdictional, 

and other factors. Furthermore, the contractual agreement between the 

owner and operator is likely to classify facility projects in terms of escrow 

improvements and outside escrow improvements. However they may 

be classified, a comprehensive facility plan should include the following 

elements:

New construction

Additions to existing buildings

Renovations of existing buildings

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Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App I-12

Building systems replacements

Building systems repairs

Scheduled maintenance

Preventive maintenance 

Building disposition (change of use, sale, demolition)

The plan will identify the time frames in which each project is to be 

accomplished, and may include cost estimates.

If effective, the facility plan will be used as a budgeting tool by both owners 

and operators, and will provide direct inputs into their budget processes. It 

should be updated on a routine basis to reflect:

Changes in the strategic plans of both owners and operators 

(including market conditions)

Revised facility assessments

Budgeting and funding realities

Facility planning usually begins at the individual building or project level and 

entails the flow of information up the management hierarchy for final capital 

decision making and budgeting at the owner’s and operator’s respective 

headquarters. 

Influences and Related Seismic Considerations

As indicated in Figure 7, two external factors (down arrow) and one internal 

factor (up arrow) influence current planning phase decision making.

Insurance Carriers and Brokers: External private property and casualty 

insurance companies often require surveys or inspections of hotel and motel 

buildings on an annual or other scheduled basis. Insurance carriers are more 

than willing, when asked, to provide building owners and operators with 

Loss Control and Prevention Reports that include recommendations for loss 

prevention. Insurance brokers also employ loss/risk specialists.

Seismic Consideration

Property insurers are unlikely to recommend extensive seismic 

improvements outside of California. In Utah, for example, they have 

recommended seismic bracing of sprinklers in hospitals as part of the 

life safety systems, but no other improvements.

Government Mandates: Federal, state, and local government agencies may 

establish external requirements affecting facility planning in the planning 

phase. These requirements may have facility rehabilitation implications. 

Seismic Consideration

Currently there are no seismic rehabilitation mandates or implications 

in any federal or state programs, with the exception of California.

Board Policies: In terms of internal influences, boards of directors of both 

owner and operator organizations may occasionally adopt written policies on 

issues of business and social significance that can impact both strategic and 

facility planning. These policies guide the actions of both organizations. The 

coordination of owner and operator policies as they relate to specific facilities 

is variable.

Seismic Consideration

Hotel and motel owners and operators boards may adopt policies 

addressing seismic issues, including seismic performance objectives 

and rehabilitation of hotel and motel buildings, either as a one-time or 

recurring incremental program.

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App I-13

Appendix I

6. The Maintenance & Rehabilitation BUDGETING 

Phase of Hotel and Motel Facility Management

Typical Process

The budgeting phase consists of the projection of future financial resources 

required to meet future needs. It is carried out annually (covering a period of 

one or more years). Each local or regional hotel and motel operator’s facility 

manager initiates it with input from his or her staff. Organization-wide, the 

vice president for facilities, or similarly titled position, oversees the budget 

development. The facility budget is a process that can be thought of as 

percolating up through the operator’s organization and down through the 

owner’s organization. Budgeting is clearly covered by the owner/operator 

agreement, and it is affected by external government fiscal regulations and 

lender requirements, and internal risk management policies and budget 

constraints, as depicted in Figure 8. Figure 8:

Budgeting

Three elements of the budget are relevant to the discussion of facility 

management:

Capital

Maintenance

Insurance

Capital Budgets: Hotel and motel capital budgets are generally divided 

between escrow accounts and non-escrow accounts. Non-escrow accounts 

generally relate to the acquisition of buildings and major systems and 

to major reconstruction. Escrow accounts typically cover guestroom 

finishing, furniture, and equipment (FF&E) and public area FF&E. While 

FF&E improvements may be done on schedule every several years, the 

occurrence of improvements under either category is not annual or repetitive, 

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

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Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App I-14

and they can therefore be amortized. The distinction between capital and 

maintenance budgets may vary among different hotel and motel building 

owners and operators. At one extreme is a total separation, mandated by law, 

labor jurisdiction, or other factors. At the other extreme is a rather unclear 

separation between the two funding mechanisms. 

Maintenance Budgets: Maintenance budgets generally relate to recurring 

annual expenditures and address existing inventories of buildings and 

systems without adding to the inventories. 

Insurance Budgets: Financial resources earmarked for insurance by owners 

and operators (subject to varying contractual arrangements between them) 

may be used in different ways, including the purchase of third-party insurance 

and/or the funding of a self-insurance reserve. Property and general liability 

insurance are relevant to facility management considerations.

Influences and Related Seismic Considerations

As indicated in Figure 8, two external factors (down arrow) and two internal 

factors (up arrow) influence budgeting phase decision making.

Government Fiscal Regulations: Federal, state, and local government 

agencies have historically established external requirements dealing with 

fiscal responsibility of commercial property owners. A variety of Securities 

and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations apply to REITs. Pension funds 

are subject to a variety of fiduciary requirements. Partnerships are subject 

to a variety of state and federal regulations. One important objective of 

these regulations is to assure the responsible stewardship of someone else’s 

resources. These requirements may have facility rehabilitation implications 

if resources are expended in an irresponsible manner. Additionally, these 

regulations may determine, directly or indirectly, the length of time that an 

acquired real estate asset must be held, and therefore what the owner’s 

planning horizon should be.

Seismic Consideration

As far as is known, there have been no seismic considerations attendant 

to these fiscal regulations.

Lender Requirements: Commercial lenders impose requirements on 

building owners who use mortgage financing for capital improvements. 

Often, the lender requires the purchase of a particular type of insurance 

coverage.

Seismic Consideration

In California, lenders sometimes require the purchase of earthquake 

insurance as a condition of the loan. For some commercial office and 

multifamily apartment building loans, this requirement has been 

waived when the owner includes seismic improvements in the project 

that reduce the lender’s risk below a defined threshold. The same 

consideration may apply to hotel and motel buildings.

Risk and Insurance Management: Internally, the owner and operator 

organizations’ respective risk and insurance management may have a direct 

or indirect role in the budget phase of the process regarding the decisions 

related to insurance. The operator’s risk management may also have a role 

regarding budget decisions related to capital improvement and maintenance.

Seismic Consideration

In areas of seismic hazard, the risks of building loss or damage, occupant 

death or injury, and hotel and motel building owner and operator liability 

must all be assessed. It must be decided whether to seek earthquake 

property and liability insurance coverage. Insurance companies that 

offer such coverage do not usually offer incentives to customers to 

undertake loss reduction measures in the form of seismic rehabilitation. 
App I-15

Appendix I

However, this situation might change, and insurance incentives for 

seismic rehabilitation may become subject to negotiation.

Budgetary Constraints: Internally, political and economic conditions may 

place limits on hotel and motel capital and maintenance budgets (consider the 

impact of 9/11 on the hospitality industry). The problem is often exacerbated 

by unfunded mandates imposed on hotel and motel buildings by federal and 

state agencies. 

Seismic Consideration

The strategy of integrating incremental seismic rehabilitation with other 

work, which is an integral part of this facility and financial management 

model, can provide a method for addressing seismic risk reduction 

within budget constraints. See full discussion of this opportunity under 

Recommended Activities in Part B.2.2.7, Seismic Rehabilitation Planning 

for Specific Buildings.

7. The Maintenance & Rehabilitation FUNDING Phase 

of Hotel and Motel Facility Management

Typical Process

The funding phase consists of those activities required in order to obtain the 

financial resources to meet the budgets. It is influenced externally by regional 

and local economic conditions, as depicted in Figure 9. Figure 9:

Funding

The funding of hotel and motel building budgets in general, and of the three 

budget elements of capital improvement, maintenance, and insurance, varies 

as a function of the owner/operator agreement.

Hotel and motel building owners and operators can fund their budgets by 

various combinations of equity and debt. Bond financing is not usually used 

in the hospitality industry to fund capital improvements.
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App I-16

Influences and Related Seismic Considerations

As indicated in Figure 9, one external factor (down arrow) influences funding 

phase decision making.

Regional and Local Economic Conditions: Externally, the funding 

of hotel and motel building construction is subject to local and national 

socioeconomic conditions well beyond the control of the building owner and 

operator. It depends on interest rates, the owner’s credit rating, and similar 

parameters.

Seismic Consideration

Even though seismic rehabilitation is clearly a risk reduction activity, 

there is no evidence that any building owner has improved its credit 

rating as the result of undertaking seismic mitigation activities of any 

kind.

8. The Maintenance & Rehabilitation 

IMPLEMENTATION Phase of Hotel and Motel Facility 

Management

Typical Process

The implementation phase includes design and construction, and can be 

broken into three categories of projects, all of which are relevant to existing 

buildings:

Building acquisition projects

Capital improvement projects

Maintenance projects

The implementation phase is primarily affected by external federal and state 

programs and building code requirements, as depicted in Figure 10.

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Figure 10:

Implementation
App I-17

Appendix I

Acquisition includes new building construction and the acquisition of existing 

buildings. Acquisition of existing buildings is discussed above as the first 

phase of the facility management process.

Capital improvement and maintenance projects are managed by hotel 

and motel building operator’s and owner’s staffs, subject to the owner/

operator agreement. The projects are carried out by these personnel and by 

contractors. The management of these two categories may be separated or 

combined, depending on issues of labor jurisdiction and legal authority, as 

well as the owner/operator agreement.

Influences and Related Seismic Considerations

As indicated in Figure 10, two external factors (down arrow) influence 

implementation phase decision making.

Federal and State Mandates and Programs: Externally, federal and state 

programs may establish requirements affecting the implementation phase 

(e.g., ADA and OSHA requirements). 

Seismic Consideration

Currently there are no seismic rehabilitation mandates or implications 

in any federal or state programs related to hotel and motel buildings 

with the possible exception of California.

Codes and Code Enforcement: Also externally, building codes impose 

requirements on the implementation phase in cases of repair, alteration, or 

addition to existing buildings. These requirements may be enforced by a state 

or local agency. Such requirements can add costs to a project and jeopardize 

feasibility unless done incrementally.

Seismic Consideration

Codes do not mandate seismic rehabilitation in repair and alteration 

projects, though additions must comply with building code seismic 

requirements. Incremental seismic rehabilitation is consistent with most 

building code requirements applicable to existing buildings.

Appendix II

Appendix II.

Integration Opportunities 

for Incremental Seismic 

Rehabilitation for Small 

Organizations and 

Individual Owners

Small organizations or individual owners with limited professional facility 

management may use the following matrix to identify opportunities to 

integrate incremental seismic rehabilitation with maintenance and capital 

improvement projects. These opportunities can be identified on the basis of a 

quick evaluation by a design professional.

The categories of maintenance and capital improvement projects included in 

the columns of this matrix are:

Roofing Maintenance and Repair/Re-roofing

Exterior Wall and Window Maintenance/Façade Modernization

Fire and Life Safety Improvements 

Public and Service Area Modernization 

Underfloor and Basement Maintenance and Repair

Guestroom Finishing, Furniture, and Equipment (FF&E)

These categories are the same as those included in Section C.2, described 

in detail in the text portions of Sections C.2.1 through C.2.5, and C.2.8, 

respectively. Three remaining categories of maintenance and capital 

improvement projects are not included in this matrix, but their respective 

integration opportunities can be identified by reference to several of the 

preceding six, as follows:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

App II-1
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

HVAC Upgrade and Energy Conservation/Indoor Air Quality 

Improvement—integration opportunities from 1, 2, and 4

Hazardous Materials Abatement—integration opportunities from 3 

and 4

Public Area FF&E—integration opportunities from 4

Owners using this Appendix are encouraged to retain the services of a 

seismic engineer to identify additional incremental seismic improvements as 

discussed in Part C.

7.

8.

9.

App II-2
Appendix II

App II-3

Simplified Matrix of Seismic Performance Improvements Level of Seismicity (Low) Level of Seismicity (Med or High)

1. Roofing Maintenance & Repair/Re-roofing2. Exterior Wall & Window Work

3. Fire & Life Safety Improvements4. Public & Service Area Modernization5. Underfloor/Basement Maintenance & Repair6. Guestroom FF&E
Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hotel and Motel Buildings

App II-4

Simplified Matrix of Seismic Performance Improvements (continued) Level of Seismicity (Low) Level of Seismicity (Med or High)

1. Roofing Maintenance & Repair/Re-roofing2. Exterior Wall & Window Work

3. Fire & Life Safety Improvements4. Public & Service Area Modernization5. Underfloor/Basement Maintenance & Repair6. Guestroom FF&E
Appendix II

App II-5

Simplified Matrix of Seismic Performance Improvements (continued) Level of Seismicity (Low) Level of Seismicity (Med or High)

1. Roofing Maintenance & Repair/Re-roofing2. Exterior Wall & Window Work

3. Fire & Life Safety Improvements4. Public & Service Area Modernization5. Underfloor/Basement Maintenance & Repair6. Guestroom FF&E