The International Code Council (ICC) has introduced a new guide that addresses seismic conditions as they relate to design and construction of metal buildings. The publication, Seismic Design Guide for Metal Building Systems, is a comprehensive, illustrated guide that includes narratives about actual metal building systems, examples of realistic design situations, engineering diagrams, and code commentary.
“Incorporating seismic requirements for a specific location into a metal building can be a challenge for manufacturers because they have to prepare extensive calculations for each custom-designed building that rolls off the assembly line,” says the ICC’s Mark Johnson. “This guide will help the engineers at the metal building manufacturer and the safety professionals in the building department make sure each metal building system meets the specific needs of the property owner’s building site and soil type, no matter where in the country the product will be located.”
Metal building systems are often economical alternatives for property owners because their streamlined building design reduces material waste and makes them easier and faster to build than other structures. It is important to address earthquake requirements in metal buildings, even in regions of the country not known for earthquakes because building occupancy, soil type, and ground motion impact the way a building is constructed. The guide puts all metal building seismic and design requirements in one resource.
The guide references the 2006 International Building Code, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures ASCE/SEI Standard 7-05. Structural steel design is based on the American Institute of Steel Construction’s Specification for Structural Steel Buildings Standard AISC 360-05 and the Seismic Provisions for Steel Buildings Standard AISC 341-05.
For more information, visit the International Code Council Web site.
