One of the primary goals of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) is to encourage design and building practices that address the earthquake hazard and minimize the resulting damage. Publication of the 2000 NEHRP Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulation of New Buildings and Other Structures reaffirms the continuing FEMA-sponsored effort to improve the seismic safety of new structures in this country. Its publication marks the fifth in a planned updating of both the Provisions documents and several complementary publications. As in the case of the earlier
editions of the Provisions (1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, and 1997), FEMA is proud to sponsor this Building Seismic Safety Council project and encourages widespread dissemination and voluntary use of this state-of-the-art consensus resource document.
In contrast with the 1997 Provisions update, this update does not make significant changes to the hazard maps or design procedures. Rather, the 2000 Provisions contains new material in select areas that keep the document at the cutting edge of seismic design practices. An example of this new material is the addition of a comprehensive procedure for the design of structures with energy dissipating devices. As this new technology gains further acceptance in practice, the design guidance within the Provisions will enjoy widespread use. Another example is the inclusion of material on anchorage to concrete. A special anchorage subcommittee was assembled to integrate this much-needed new material into the Provisions. A third example is
the comprehensive treatment of design of steel moment frame structures based on the research results of a FEMA-funded project started after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Finally, some new material in the areas of ‘pushover’ design and simplified design procedures was developed. Further refinement of these two areas is expected during the next update cycle.
The above changes are but a few of the nearly 170 that were balloted by the BSSC member organizations. The number of changes continues to grow over the numbers of earlier update efforts and is testament to the increased attention being paid to the Provisions. This is due in large part to the decision to use the NEHRP Provisions as the basis for the seismic requirements in both the International Building Code and NFPA 5000 Code. FEMA welcomes this increased scrutiny and the chance to work with these code organizations.
Looking ahead, FEMA has already contracted with BSSC for and work already has begun on the update process that will lead to the 2003 Provisions. The update effort will continue to capture the state of the art, continue work on simplified methods, and seek to improve the treatment of non-building structures within the Provisions.
Finally, FEMA wishes to express its deepest gratitude for the yeoman efforts of a large number of volunteer experts and the BSSC Board of Directors and staff who made possible the 2000 Provisions documents. It is truly their efforts that make the Provisions a reality. Americans unfortunate enough to experience the earthquakes that will inevitably occur in this country in the future will owe much, perhaps even their very lives, to the contributions and dedication of these individuals to the seismic safety of buildings. Without the dedication and hard work of these men and women, this document and all it represents with respect to earthquake risk mitigation would not have been possible.
