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NCSEA/SEAOC Webinar Series: Structural Design for Seismic Design Category C

NCSEA and the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) have teamed up to deliver the second of two brand new Web-Based Seminar Series on seismic design. The topic of this series is the structural design of buildings and systems classified as Seismic Design Category (SDC) C. The series will benefit not only engineers who design SDC C structures on a regular basis, but also engineers who typically work on structures in other seismic design categories (i.e., SDC A, B, D, E & F). Building your knowledge of SDC C structural design can prepare you for that next opportunity and improve your engineering acumen overall.

This Seminar will be delivered in five 1.5-hour webinars and presented by some of the industry’s experts on seismic design in moderate seismic zones.

This webinar series will provide an overview of the many facets of designing structures for SDC C. It will feature presentations that discuss the following topics:

  • The design requirements that are unique to Seismic Design Category (SDC) C buildings and systems
  • The differences between SDC C structural design compared to a structure designed to SDC D
  • The design of reinforced masonry shear walls for SDC C using finite element models
  • The design of reinforced concrete shear walls in SDC C that are constructed using the tilt-up construction method
  • Anchorage of reinforced concrete walls to light framed diaphragms
  • Overview of the ACI 318 and ASCE 7 requirements for designing reinforced concrete structures for SDC C
  • Illustrations of the design process for SDC C buildings using a steel-framed building structure example and a hospital case study

The registration fee for the Seminar is $595 for members ($995 for nonmembers), which includes all 7.5 hours of education. Each individual webinar can be purchased separately for $250 for members ($300 for nonmembers).
  • Purchase all webinars in the Seminar and have access to the recordings for 1 Year.
  • Each seminar purchase is per office location. If your firm is operating remotely, contact NCSEA at ncsea@ncsea.com on how to accommodate multiple users from the same location.
Please note: These webinars are not included in the NCSEA Webinar Subscription.

Schedule of Events

February 22 - Day 1: General Overview and Steel Design, Presented by Thomas Heausler, P.E., S.E. - RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!
This presentation will highlight the differences in a Seismic Design Category (SDC) C structural design compared to a structure designed to SDC D. Parameters that are unique to SDC C, and that are often relaxed, include: Seismic Force-Resisting System (SFRS), Response Modification Coefficient R, Overstrength Ωo, Seismic detailing requirements of AISC 341, ACI 318, masonry and wood, Irregularities, Accidental Torsion, Orthogonal effects (100%-30%), Analysis Procedure, Redundancy, Load Combinations, Collectors and more. Calculations for an example steel-framed building structure will be explained in detail with specific attention to the unique provisions, or lack thereof, for Seismic Category C.

February 29 - Day 2: Reinforced Masonry Shear Wall Design, Presented by Sam Rubenzer, P.E., S.E., FORSE Consulting - RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!
In structural engineering, a shear wall is a vertical element that resists lateral forces, typically from wind and seismic loads. Perforated shear walls are simply shear walls with openings in them. In this session, you’ll learn about the design of perforated masonry shear walls. See how finite element analysis (FEA) software solutions can generate efficient structural masonry wall designs. Get inspired by a series of case studies that use FEA software to design masonry shear walls.

March 7 - Day 3: Concrete Slender Wall Design and its Out-of-Plane Anchorage, Presented by John Lawson, S.E., Cal Poly SLO - RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!
The design of slender concrete walls out-of-plane, also known as tilt-up construction, is based on a combination of theoretical and experimental evidence; however, the concepts behind the provisions in ACI 318 are often misunderstood and sometimes improperly applied. This presentation will explain the basis of many of the provisions with some seismic design examples. Additionally, the importance of out-of-plane wall anchorage will be highlighted with a summary of the anchorage design and load flow modeling.

March 14 - Day 4: Design and Detailing of Steel Reinforced Concrete Buildings in SDC C,Presented by David Fanella, P.E., S.E., CRSI - RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!
 This presentation provides a summary of the design and detailing requirements for steel reinforced concrete buildings in accordance with ACI 318-19. Presented are the ACI 318 requirements along with the structural systems commonly used in SDC C, design aids, and recommendations and guidelines on how to size and detail the structural members for constructability.

March 21 - Day 5: Designing Hospitals for Seismic Design Category C, Presented by Brent Bandy, P.E., S.E., Walter P. Moore - RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!
 Special seismic detailing is routine for West Coast engineers, but for many engineers in the rest of the country, we spend our time designing structures in Seismic Design Category A and B. However, in some areas and conditions, the high Risk Category of buildings such as hospitals tip the structure into Seismic Design Category C. What does this mean for code requirements, special detailing, extra design time, material quantities, coordination with other design team members?


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