Table Of ContentSEAOC Blue Book
Seismic Design
Recommendations 2019
Seismology Committee
Structural Engineers Association of California
Copyright © 2019 by the Structural Engineers Association of California
Table of Contents
About this Compilation
Acknowledgments
Blue Book Donors
Introduction
00.01.010 Preface to the 2019 Edition
00.02.010 Glossary of Acronyms
00.02.020 Earthquake Design Codes and Standards
Methods and Philosophies of Earthquake Engineering
01.02.010 Development of Earthquake Design Provisions for Building Codes
01.03.010 Code-Based Earthquake Design
01.04.010 Performance-Based Earthquake Design
01.10.010 An Evaluation of Current Practices Related to the Development and Implementation of
Acceptance Criteria and Product Evaluation Reports
Quality Assurance
02.01.010 Earthquake Design Documentation
Seismic Force Resisting Systems
04.01.010 Seismic Force-Resisting Systems
04.01.020 Development of System Factors
04.02.020 Dual Systems
04.02.030 Cantilever Column Systems
04.02.040 Combined Systems
04.03.010 Period Determination
04.05.010 Analysis Procedures
Element Checks and Design
05.02.030 Concrete Slab Collectors
Nonstructural Components
06.03.010 Fire Sprinklers
06.03.020 Stairs
Foundations
07.01.010 Foundation Design Overview – Archived – See 2009 Edition
07.02.010 Geotechnical Investigations
07.02.020 Limit State Design of Piles, Pile Caps, and Grade Beams – Archived – See 2009 Edition
07.02.021 Example of Limit State Analysis of Concrete Piles – Archived – See 2009 Edition
07.03.010 Foundation Modeling
07.04.010 Steel SFRS Connections to the Foundation
Steel
08.01.010 Overview of Steel Design Requirements
08.03.010 Staggered Truss Frames – Archived – See 2009 Edition
08.03.020 Buckling-Restrained Braced Frames
08.03.040 Special Truss Moment Frames with Vierendeel Segments – Archived – See 2009 Edition
08.03.050 Concentrically Braced Frames
Concrete
09.01.010 Reinforced Concrete Structures
09.02.010 Tilt-up Buildings
09.05.010 Concrete Parking Structures
09.10.010 Seismically Induced Lateral Earth Pressures of Retaining Structures and Basement Walls
Masonry
11.01.010 Reinforced Masonry Design Overview
Wood and Light Frame
12.03.020 Wood Framed Shear Walls With Openings
12.04.020 Light-Frame Wall Hold-downs
12.04.030 Anchor Bolts in Light-Frame Construction at Small Edge Distances
Base Isolation
13.01.010 Overview of Base Isolation
About this Compilation
Welcome to the 2019 Edition of the SEAOC Blue Book: Seismic Design Recommendations.
This edition is SEAOC’s ninth since 1959 – and a lot has changed in 60 years. In its first
decades, this collection of interpretations and recommendations from SEAOC’s Seismology
Committee served as the basis for the seismic provisions of the Uniform Building Code (UBC)
used in the Western US. Since the move in the 1990s to a national code-development process,
the Blue Book’s tenor has shifted from establishing the code to interpreting the code for
practicing structural engineers and putting it context. Importantly, the 2019 edition captures how
that context is evolving – from a historic focus on “life-safety” to the modern pursuits of
performance-based design and resiliency.
So while the Blue Book tracks the history both of an important discipline and a proud
professional organization, it is more than a story of the past. You will find the 2019 edition a
useful reference for your current work, and rich in hints about the future.
This edition represents a multi-year volunteer effort by the SEAOC Seismology Committee. It
builds on the work of generations of Seismology Committees before them. We thank all the
authors, editors, reviewers, the SEAOC Foundation, and the donating individuals and firms who
devoted hours and resources to this Blue Book.
Enjoy!
Ben Mohr, SE
Project Manager
Fred Turner, SE
Principal Technical Editor
Joyce Fuss, SE
SEAOC President, 2018-2019
on behalf of the SEAOC Board of Directors
Richard Dreyer, SE
SEAOC Foundation Chair
on behalf of the SEAOC Foundation Board of Directors
Don Schinske
Executive Director
SEAOC and SEAOC Foundation
Acknowledgments
The 2019 SEAOC Blue Book, Seismic Design Recommendations, reflects the work of the 2015 through 2019
SEAOC Seismology Committees, the SEAOC Board, and other SEAOC members who contributed time and effort
in one or more capacities as authors, editors, and reviewers. It builds upon the work of all the SEAOC Seismology
Committees from 1959 to the present. A list of past and present members of Seismology Committees, as well as
contributors to the articles, is provided below.
The technical editors for this edition of the Blue Book were Fred Turner and Benjamin Mohr. This edition was also
reviewed by the SEAOC Structural Standards Committee, chaired by Kevin Moore. Don Schinske coordinated
printing and publishing, and the SEAOC Foundation coordinated fundraising.
The Seismology Committee would like to thank all of the authors and reviewers who contributed to this edition of
the Blue Book:
Gabriel Acero Meaghan Halligan Maryann Phipps
Sam Adiputra Martin Hudson Alan Robinson
Federico Aldana Jesse Karns Jacqueline Rock
James Baty Nelson Kawamura Andrew Salber
Karen Beebe Philip Kopf Phil Samblanet
Cairo Briceno James Lai Arturo Schultz
Katy Briggs John Lawson Bill Seckler
Jeremy Callister Jason Leung Rahul Sharma
Joseph Collins Francis Lo David Sommer
Steve Earl Roy Lobo Ali Sumer
Ali Fattah Gary Mochizuki Fred Turner
Victor Garcia-Delgado Jorge Meneses Andreanna Tzortzis
Andrew Fennell Benjamin Mohr Tom Van Dorpe
David Gonzalez Naeem Nemati-Raad
Tom Hale David Palmer
Past Seismology Committees
2018 – 2019 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Katy Briggs Cairo Briceno David Palmer (Chair)
Benjamin Mohr Jesse Karns (Past Chair) Fred Turner Victor Garcia
Meaghan Halligan
2017 – 2018 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Katy Briggs Josh Gebelein David Palmer
Benjamin Mohr Cairo Briceno Fred Turner Victor Garcia
Meaghan Halligan Jesse Karns (Chair) Jeremy Callister
(Past Chair)
2016 – 2017 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Katy Briggs Josh Gebelein Roy Lobo
Benjamin Mohr (Past Chair) Mehran Pourzanjani Ali Sumer Victor Garcia
Silvia Mazzoni Jesse Karns Jeremy Callister
Chris Tung (Chair)
2015 – 2016 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Katy Briggs Josh Gebelein Tom Hale
Benjamin Mohr (Chair) Mehran Pourzanjani Ali Sumer Victor Garcia
Silvia Mazzoni Jesse Karns Roy Lobo (Past Chair) Jeremy Callister
Chris Tung (Vice Chair)
2014 – 2015 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Silvia Mazzoni Bahram Zarin-afsar (Past Chair) Roy Lobo (Chair) Victor Garcia
Russell Berkowitz Mechran Pourzanjani Ali Sumer Jeremy Callister
Chris Pettys Gabriel Acero Amir Gilani
2013 – 2014 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Russell Berkowitz Josh Gebelein Roy Lobo (Vice-Chair)
Silvia Mazzoni Mehran Pourzanjani Amir Gilani Victor Garcia
Chris Pe tteys Mikhail Gershfeld Jeremy Callister
Geoff Bomba (Past Chair) Bahram Zarin-afsar (Chair)
2012 – 2013 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Bryan Cortnik Matt Skokan Hussasin Bhatia Manny Sinha
Kevin Morton Ricardo Hernandez Ryan Kersting (Past Chair) Jeremy Callister
Russell Berkowitz Mehran Pourzanjani
Chris Petteys Bahram Zarin-afsar (Vice Chair)
Geoff Bomba (Chair)
2011 – 2012 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Geoff Bomba (Vice Chair) Mehran Pourzanjani (Past Chair) Ryan Kersting (Chair)
Bryan Cortnik Arash Altoontash Hussain Bhatia Amir Miraftab
Kevin Morton Martin Hudson Tom Hale Manny Sinha
Matt Skokan
2010 – 2011 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Geoff Bomba (Vice Chair) Mehran Pourzanjani (Past Chair) Ryan Kersting (Chair)
Bryan Cortnik Arash Altoontash Hussain Bhatia Amir Miraftab
Kevin Morton Martin Hudson Tom Hale Manny Sinha
Matt Skokan
2009 – 2010 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Kevin S. Moore (Past Chair) Mehran Pourzanjani (Chair) Ryan Kersting (Vice-Chair)
W.Andrew Fennell James S. Lai Tom Hale Doug Magee
Geoff Bomba Tom Van Dorpe Manny Sinha
Nicolas Rodrigues Martin Hudson
2008 – 2009 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Kevin S. Moore (Chair) Mehran Pourzanjani (Vice-Chair)
W. Andrew Fennell James S. Lai Ryan Kersting Doug Magee
Geoff Bomba Tom Van Dorpe Tom Hale Christopher Kamp
Nicolas Rodrigues
2007 – 2008 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Kevin S. Moore (Chair) Mehran Pourzanjan (Vice-Chair) John Diebold (Past Chair)
Mark Moore Doc Nghiem Tom Hale Doug Magee
W. Andrew Fennell Tom Van Dorpe Ryan Kersting Christopher Kamp
Nicolas Rodrigues Geoff Warcholik
2006 – 2007 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Rafael Sabelli (Past Chair) Mehran Pourzanjani John Diebold (Chair)
Mark Moore Doc Nghiem Tom Hale Gary Lau
Kevin S. Moore Tom Van Dorpe Ryan Kersting Christopher Kamp
W. Andrew Fennell Doug Magee
2005 – 2006 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Rafael Sabelli (Past Chair) Mehran Pourzanjani John Diebold (Chair)
W. Andrew Fennell Doc Nghiem Tom Hale Gary Lau
Kevin S. Moore Tom Van Dorpe Ryan Kersting Christopher Kamp
Mark Moore Doug Magee
2004 – 2005 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Rafael Sabelli (Chair) Chris Tokas (Past Chair)
Stacy Gaddini Y. Henry Huang Tom Hale John Diebold
Gary Mochizuki Martin Johnson John Tehaney Christopher Kamp
Kevin S. Moore Bob Lyons
Mark Moore
2003 – 2004 SEAOC Seismology Committee
SEAONC SEAOSC SEAOCC SEAOSD
Doug Hohbach (Past Chair) Chris Tokas (Chair)
Gary Mochizuki Y. Henry Huang John Tehaney John Diebold
Kevin S. Moore Martin Johnson Tom Hale Christopher Kamp
Rafael Sabelli (Vice Chair) Bob Lyons
