11-09: Seismic Qualification - Fact And Fiction

Chapter 17 of the International Building Code (1BC) requires manufacturers of designated equipment to provide a certificate of compliance verifying that the equipment will meet pertinent earthquake load criteria. The evidence of compliance must be by actual test on a shake table, by an analytical method using dynamic characteristics, by the use of experience data, or by more rigorous analysis providing for equivalent safety. In the wake of this requirement, equipment manufacturers have grasped for a concrete method to obtain such a certification. This paper will explain the facts and fiction regarding when seismic compliance is required, how to go about obtaining a seismic certification, who can provide certifications, and what role jurisdictions such as OSHPD play.