Location building detail fields

Validation rules for fields related to secondary building characteristics, that is, for the building details of a location.

Project Data > Exposure Views > {Select an Exposure View} > Contract List > {Select a Contract} > Contract Details pane > Locations

Our individual risk methodology follows a structured, logical approach that groups building characteristics according to their function to reflect the contribution of each characteristic to overall building performance. For information about the secondary risk characteristics that are supported in a specific model, refer to the "Model in Touchstone” chapter in the model description, which is available on the Client Portal. Documentation for some Verisk models includes a separate document that serves as a guide to the secondary risk characteristics (SRC) used in the model.

Click the following links for information about Location Surrounding Detail fields, such as custom elevation and flood fields, and about Location Connection Detail fields, such as Foundation Type.

Field Perils Description Validation rules Default value
Floor of Interest
  • CE IF
  • EU ETC
  • GB IF
  • JP IF
  • JP TY
  • SEU IF
  • US HU
  • US IF
  • IT IF (added in 11.5)
  • US ST - Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes
Floor of interest in cases in which the entire building is not covered at this location. The following list describes each value.
  • -1 Basement (for use only with Verisk Inland Flood Model for Great Britain, Verisk Extratropical Cyclone Model for Europe, Verisk Inland Flood Model for the United States, Verisk Inland Flood Model for Japan, Verisk Typhoon Model for Japan, and Verisk Hurricane Model for the United States) or cellar (for use only with Verisk Inland Flood Model for Central Europe)
  • 0 Unknown/default (or no floor of interest)
  • 1 Ground floor
  • 2 First floor above ground floor
  • 3 Second floor above ground floor

Enter replacement values (Replacement Value Building, Replacement Value Content, and Replacement Value Time) for the floor of interest, not for the whole building.

For the hurricane peril, use this field with terrain roughness and adjacent building height.

Different floors of the building experience varying degrees of damage. The nature of damage experienced by each floor can also be different.

Floor Area n/a This field does not affect losses.

The total floor area for the building at this location

The specified floor area units determine the unit in which you should specify the value for this field.Differences between Gross Area and Floor Area.
  • Optional
  • Defaults to a value in the Touchstone user interface
  • Can be a numeric value between 0 and 999,999,999, inclusive
0
Floor Area Units n/a One of the following units of measurement for the floor area:
  • Acre (AC)
  • Hectare (HA)
  • Square feet (SQFT)
  • Square meters (SQM)
  • Optional
  • Can contain up to 40 characters.
Floor Occupied n/a This field does not affect losses.

Single floor or range of floors occupied in the building at this location

Optional [NULL]
Building Condition
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • HI TC
  • JP EQ
  • NZ EQ
  • US EQ
  • US HU
  • US ST - Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes
One of the following general qualitative descriptions of the condition of the building at this location, based on visual inspection of the building cladding and maintenance:
  • Unknown (0)
  • Average (1)
  • Good (2)
  • Poor (3)

The external appearance of cladding and maintenance gives a qualitative estimate of expected performance.

For earthquakes: Buildings with signs of distress or duress, such as cracking due to aging and ground settlement or overloading or cracking due to damage from previous earthquakes, are likely to experience additional damage during an earthquake. For earthquakes, the default is "Average".

For hurricanes: Buildings with signs of distress or duress are likely to experience additional damage during a tropical cyclone. Some examples of these signs are an aging roof, exterior walls, or cladding; loose roof tiles or chimney damage; or damage from previous tropical cyclones.

  • Optional
  • Defaults to a value in the Touchstone user interface.
The default may vary for wind models, but is generally Unknown (0).
Building Shape
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • NZ EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to describe the overall shape of the footprint of the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Square (1)
  • Rectangle (2)
  • Circular (3)
  • L-shaped (4)
  • T-shaped (5)
  • U-shaped (6)
  • H-shaped (7)
  • Complex (8)

Shape is critical for the performance of a structure, especially for large commercial buildings. In general, simple regular forms, like squares and rectangles, perform better than combinations of those, such as L- and T-shaped buildings. The sharp corners in these complex shapes are vulnerable.

  • Optional
  • Defaults to a value in the Touchstone user interface.
Unknown/default (0)
Torsion
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • NZ EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to describe the layout of structural elements that can lead to torsional loads in the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Symmetric (1)
  • Asymmetric (2)
  • Corner building (3)

Wedge-shaped buildings and corner buildings are typical examples in which the lateral load-resisting components in a building are placed asymmetrically. This leads to torsional forces being induced when the building is shaken, which can lead to significant damage.

  • Optional
  • Defaults to a value in the Touchstone user interface.
Unknown/default (0)
Backwater Valve Protection
  • CA IF
(Added in Touchstone 2024) Prevents leakage out of a plumbing fixture if a sewer system backs up the building's drain line.
  • Unknown default (0)
  • No (1)
  • Yes (2)
Optional Unknown (0)
Soft Story
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • NZ EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to indicate whether there is structural weakness at any floor in the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • No (1)
  • Yes (2)
This field is applicable only if the number of stories is 2 or greater.

First-floor garages and taller first floors are likely to exhibit soft-story behavior.

The weakness is usually in the lateral load-resisting capacity of the floor and can often result in total (pancaking) collapse of the floor. In residential buildings, it is most often found in the first floor due to large openings or garages. In multi-story buildings, it can be present at any floor, although a large number of case histories exist with collapse of the first floor.

  • Optional
  • Defaults to a value in the Touchstone user interface.
Unknown/default (0)
Structural Irregularity
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to describe irregularity in such things as floor plans, structural components, uneven weight distribution, etc. for the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Vertical Offset (2)
  • Non-uniform Floor Area (3) (e.g., a sudden change in floor area along the height)
  • Discontinuous Shear Wall (4) (i.e., the main load-resisting components are not provided in a regular, symmetric pattern)
  • Heavy floor (5) (e.g., placement of heavy equipment on higher floors)

Touchstone no longer supports the Regular (1) value. If you use this value, Touchstone maps it to Unknown/default (0) upon import.

Structural irregularities can lead to catastrophic collapse of properties as witnessed in the Mexico City and Kobe earthquakes.
  • Optional
  • Defaults to a value in the Touchstone user interface.
Unknown/default (0)
Special Earthquake-Resistive Systems
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to indicate whether there are earthquake-resistive systems installed in the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Base isolation (1)
  • Visco-elastic dampers (2)
  • Other energy dissipaters (3)
Some new commercial buildings (mainly in California and Japan) have special devices/design elements to resist earthquake loads. Structures with special design have performed satisfactorily in recent events, such as Northridge.
Optional
Retrofit Measures
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • NZ EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to describe any retrofit measured used in the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Bracing of cripple walls (1)
  • Bracing of parapets (2)
  • Bracing of soft-story (3)
  • Foundation anchorage (bolting) (4)
  • Glass/window strengthening (5)
  • Tilt Up (6)
  • General (7)
A properly retrofitted structure can resist earthquakes even though the original structural form had weaknesses.
  • Optional
  • For Verisk Earthquake Model for the United States(M11), if you want to use the Bracing of cripple walls (1) option, you must also select Crawlspace cripple wall (4) as the foundation type.
  • For Verisk Earthquake Model for the United States (M11), if you want to use the Foundation anchorage (bolting) (4) option, you must also select Gravity/Friction (4) as the foundation connection.
Short Column
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to indicate whether there are short columns in the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • No (1)
  • Yes (2)
This field applies to old concrete structures in which the fill height of some columns has been restricted by spandrel beams or infill walls. If some of the columns along the perimeter are shorter than the adjacent columns, there is high chance that the shorter columns can no longer bear the loads for which they were originally designed.
Optional
Ornamentation
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to describe the amount of decorative elements attached to exterior of the building at this location:
  • Unknown (0)
  • None/default (1)
  • Average (2)
  • Extensive (3)
Decorative elements may fall during an earthquake. Examples include unreinforced or unbraced parapet walls or entryway roofs, which can break off during excessive shaking.
Optional
Water Heater
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to indicate whether the water heater in the building at this location is braced:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Braced (1)
  • Unbraced (2)
If the water heater in a residential building is not properly secured, it can topple during earthquakes and cause damage, to both itself and any part of the structure underneath it.
Optional
Redundancy
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to indicate whether there are multiple lateral load-resisting elements (frames or shear walls) in the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • No (1)
  • Yes (2)
Redundancy provides additional reinforcement against earthquake damage.
Optional
Tall One Story
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to describe the height of the one-story building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • <= 20 feet (1)
  • > 20-40 feet (2)
  • > 40 feet (3)
Single story buildings that are taller than typical one-story structures (e.g., churches, gymnasiums, auditoriums, etc.) have been observed to experience more damage. The majority of the seismic weight of the building (the building's roof) is further from the ground, which may induce larger overturning forces. The structure may also contain slender elements that may be more likely to experience buckling failure modes.
Optional
Equipment
  • CA EQ
  • HI EQ
  • JP EQ
  • US EQ
One of the following values to describe the level of equipment bracing in the building at this location:
  • Unknown (0)
  • Well-braced (1)
  • Average-braced/default (2)
  • Unbraced (3)
Anchoring mechanical and electrical equipment to the floor or bracing them against structural elements can resist damage. Vibration isolators (springs) are not as effective. In addition, piping should be braced to restrain the movement.
Optional
Seal Of Approval
  • HI TC
  • US HU
  • US ST - Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes
One of the following values to describe the level of professional engineering attention given to the design of the structure of the building at this location The following list describes each value (in bold):
  • Unknown / Default (0)
  • Fully Engineered Structure (1) Designed by a Professional Engineer who is required by the local jurisdiction to seal the calculations and drawings.
  • Partially Engineered Structure (2) Inspected by a Professional Engineer and found "deemed-to-comply" with the respective building code. Local jurisdiction does not require the Professional Engineer to seal the calculations.
  • Minimally Engineered Structure (3) Structure does not satisfy any of the conditions mentioned above.
This field is only applicable if you specify a year built for the building at this location.
Optional
Extra Data PAL (All licensed perils) This field does not affect losses. Extra data is used to describe the building at this location. Optional [NULL]
IS Value Type
  • JP EQ
One of the following values to describe the type of measure of the total seismic performance of the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Less than 0.3 (1)
  • 0.3 - 0.45 (2)
  • 0.45 - 0.55 (3)
  • 0.55 - 0.65 (4)
  • 0.65 - 0.75 (5)
  • 0.75 - 0.85 (6)
  • 0.85 - 1.0 (7)
  • 1.0 - 1.25 (8)
  • Greater than 1.2 (9)
This measure accounts for all the characteristics that affect the response of a building to an earthquake. The value is based on seismic performance evaluation guidelines. If you use this modifier, Touchstone disables all other modifiers.
Optional
Lattice Type
  • JP EQ
One of the following values to describe the type of web for H-shaped steel in the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Full Web (1)
  • Grid (2)
  • Lattice (3)
The characteristic influences the ductility of a structure.
Optional
Multi Story Hall Type
  • JP EQ
One of the following values to indicate whether there is a multi-story hall in the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • No (1)
  • Yes (2)
Multi-story halls cause the unequal distribution of external forces among floors and columns. This causes stress to concentrate in some of the components, which makes buildings more vulnerable to earthquake damage.
Optional
First Floor Height
  • CE IF
  • EU ETC
  • IT IF (added in 11.5)
  • JP IF
  • JP TY
  • SEU IF
  • US HU
  • US IF
Height (in feet for Japan and for the US, in meters for Europe) of the first floor in the building at this location above the ground surface / grade

A value of -999 for this field in your import data represents Unknown/Default.

Touchstone supports this field for all residential, commercial, and small industrial buildings.

The value in this field overrides the value for the base flood elevation.

A raised first floor significantly reduces a building's vulnerability to flood damage.
Service Equipment Protection
  • US HU
  • US IF
Indicates the level of protection to mechanical, electrical, or plumbing service equipment in the floodable parts of the basement of the building at this location:
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Unprotected (1)
  • Low protection for flood (2)
  • Medium Protection for flood (3)
  • High Protection for flood (4)

Touchstone supports this field for all residential, commercial, and small industrial buildings.

Protection can be in the form of the equipment being elevated or in the form of some type of flood proofing.
0
Wet Floodproofing
  • US IF
  • US HU
One of the following values to indicate the level of wet floodproofing mitigation techniques in the building at this location. Protection can be in the form of the equipment and stock protection. It also accounts for the use of flood openings in the foundation wall.
  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Unprotected (1)
  • Low Protection, wet floodproofed by one foot (2)
  • Medium Protection, wet floodproofed by three feet (3)
  • High Protection, wet floodproofed by over three feet (4)
When importing values for this field, use integer identifiers. For example, import "1" unprotected wet floodproofing.
0
FIRM Compliance
  • US IF
  • US HU
Indicates compliance of the building with FEMA flood zone requirements in design and construction. The following list describes available values:
  • Unknown/Default (0)
  • No (1)
  • Yes (2)
0
Content Vulnerability
  • US HU
  • US IF
One of the following values to describe the portion of the contents of the building at this location that have a low vulnerability. The following list describes each value:
  • Unknown/Default (0) Level of vulnerability is unknown, or you want to use the Touchstone default setting.
  • Low (1) An unusually large percentage of the contents is water-resistant or protected.
  • Moderate (2) A typical percentage or the contents is water-resistance or protected.
  • High (3) A low percentage of the contents is water-resistant or protected.
  • Very High (4) Almost none of the contents are water-resistant or protected.

Touchstone supports this field for all residential, commercial, and small industrial buildings.

This field enables you to indicate that some of a building's contents are resistant to water damage or have flood protection.
Certified Structures (IBHS)
  • US HU
  • US ST (version 10.0 and later)—straight-line winds, tornadoes, hail
Residential single- and multi-family homes (occupancy types 301, 302, and 303) of wood, masonry, concrete, or steel that meet IBHS criteria for load resistance are eligible for gold, silver, or bronze certification, which represents the level of disaster protection or mitigation. In addition, commercial buildings including, but not limited to, hotels, group institutional housing, condominiums, general commercial buildings, retail stores, and wholesale stores (occupancy types 304, 305, 306, 311, 312, 313+) that meet the IBHS fortification standards set forth for commercial buildings are eligible for this feature.

One of the following values to indicate whether the building at this location has achieved an Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) FORTIFIED designation:

  • Unknown/default (0)
  • Fortified Home (IBHS) Bronze Option 1 (1)
  • Fortified Home (IBHS) Bronze Option 2 (2)
  • Fortified Home (IBHS) Silver Option 1 (3)
  • Fortified Home (IBHS) Silver Option 2 (4)
  • Fortified Home (IBHS) Gold Option 1 (5)
  • Fortified Home (IBHS) Gold Option 2 (6)
  • Fortified for Safer Living (IBHS) (7)

When importing values for this field, use integer identifiers. For example, import "1" for "Fortified Home (IBHS) Bronze Option 1".

When importing values for this field, use integer identifiers. For example, import "1" for "Fortified Home (IBHS) Bronze Option 1".

Optional

This feature works only for AIR occupancy codes 301, 302, 303, and 306 when used in combination with AIR construction codes 101-14, 111-119, and 131-137.
Is Fire Sprinkler Available
  • n/a (used only with Non-Catastrophe Peril Analysis)
One of the following values to indicate whether this location contains one or more fire sprinklers:
  • Yes (1)
  • No (0)
  • Unknown
When importing values for this field, use integer identifiers. For example, import "1" for "Yes".
Note: We have retired non-catastrophe loss analyses in Touchstone 9.0. Therefore, these fields do not affect losses.
Optional Unknown