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After superstorm Sandy, New York mulls ways to protect building systems

November 2012

Authors:

Real estate sector in New York is mulling ways to protect building systems after superstorm Sandy. The Urban Green Council and the Real Estate Board of New York are convening a building resiliency task force. They expect to have recommendations to the city by next summer. The New York City code requires backup generator fuel tanks and their pumps to be in the basement. When lower Manhattan went dark, backup power failed at the New York University Langone Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital Center because the fuel pumps flooded. For damaged buildings, getting temporary power safely into the building is just the first step of a difficult journey toward a permanent fix. All flooded mechanical and electrical equipment first has to be assessed, salvaged if possible and then re-assessed. If equipment is damaged beyond repair or too old to make repair worthwhile, owners are studying whether to relocate it to higher floors rather than rebuilding in flood-prone basements.

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Article

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January 2016 · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research

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October 2014

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Drennan

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