This 1996 sixth edition of the Recommended Lateral Force Requirements and Commentary, also known as the SEAOC Blue Book, summarizes recommendations of the Structural Engineers Association of California’s (SEAOC) for earthquake-resistant design of structures. It represents over six years of work by the SEAOC Seismology Committee.
This 1996 edition of the Blue Book is issued in an entirely new format that is easier to read and reference. Significant format and presentation changes were made so that the Requirements and Commentary would better correlate to each other and with the corresponding sections of the UBC. These major changes necessitated issuing the 1996 edition as a new document, rather than as a series of revision pages to the 1990 edition.
