Multi-Hazard design, which incorporates both natural and manmade hazards, has become a popular design requirement for critical structures. While many Owners and various project team members anticipate a relatively straightforward integration of the respective hazards based on their understanding of the loads generated by the hazards, numerous complexities arise during the actual integration of a multi-hazard design approach into construction documents.

A case study of a recently designed emergency communications facility will be reviewed to understand the development of the design criteria and integration of the different conventional and extreme load criteria into a cohesive multi-hazard strategy to provide a higher level of protection for both structural and non-structural elements that are deemed to be critical to the post-event operations of the facility. Specific design features such as enhanced vertical and lateral load paths, and attachments of critical non-structural elements will be examined to illustrate the implementation of a multi-hazard strategy in the actual structure.