The 1997 NEHRP Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulations for New Buildings and Other Structures

Abstract

The Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) was established in 1979 under the auspices of the National Institute of Building Sciences as an entirely new type of instrument for dealing with the complex regulatory, technical, social, and economic issues involved in developing and promulgating building earthquake hazard mitigation regulatory provisions that are national in scope. By bringing together in the BSSC all of the needed expertise and all relevant public and private interests, it was believed that issues related to the seismic safety of the built environment could be resolved and jurisdictional problems overcome through authoritative guidance and assistance backed by a broad consensus.The BSSC is an independent, voluntary membership body representing a wide variety of building community interests. Its fundamental purpose is to enhance public safety by providing a national forum that fosters improved seismic safety provisions for use by the building community in the planning, design, construction, regulation, and utilization of buildings.To fulfill its purpose, the BSSC: (1) promotes the development of seismic safety provisions suitable for use throughout the United States; (2) recommends, encourages, and promotes the adoption of appropriate seismic safety provisions in voluntary standards and model codes; (3) assesses progress in the implementation of such provisions by federal, state, and local regulatory and construction agencies; (4) identifies opportunities for improving seismic safety regulations and practices and encourages public and private organizations to effect such improvements; (5) promotes the development of training and educational courses and materials for use by design professionals, builders, building regulatory officials, elected officials, industry representatives, other members of the building community, and the public; (6) advises government bodies on their programs of research, development, and implementation; and (7) periodically reviews and evaluates research findings, practices, and experience and makes recommendations for incorporation into seismic design practices.See Appendix E of the Commentary volume for a full description of BSSC activities.

Performance evaluation of new steel frame buildings for seismic loads

“…This is based on an engineering assumption that a building properly designed in accordance with current seismic codes will be at least 50% stronger than assumed for design. Other important changes are explained elsewhere [5].…”

The 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake—a preliminary study of deaths

“…and an earthquake magnitude M . Earthquake magnitudes were determined from the USGS National Earthquake Information Center [6]. These magnitudes are Ms from the NOAA catalogue, except for 1976 Tangshan, and the 1989 Newcastle earthquakes that are coded UKGS and MDCNB respectively in the catalogue.…”

A review of seismic hazard description in US design codes and procedures

“…Since that time, the Provisions Update Committee (PUC) of the BSSC has been updating the NEHRP Recommended Provisions every 3 years. Holmes [70] provides a brief discussion of changes in the Provisions from 1985 through 1997.…”