This SEAOC Blue Book: Seismic Design Recommendations is the premier publication of the SEAOC Seismology Committee. The name Blue Book is renowned worldwide among engineers, researchers, and building officials. Since 1959, the SEAOC Blue Book, previously titled Recommended Lateral Force Requirements and Commentary, has been a prescient publication of earthquake engineering. The Blue Book has been at the vanguard of earthquake engineering in California and around the world. This edition of the Blue Books offers a series of articles, that cover specific topics, some related to a particular code provision and some more general relating to an area of practice. While different than the previous editions of the Blue Books, it builds upon the tremendous effort of those who have forged earthquake engineering practice via the previous half-century of Blue Book editions. The Blue Book provides: insight and discussion of earthquake engineering concepts; interpretations of sometimes ambiguous or conflicting provisions of various codes, standards, and guidelines; and practical guidance on design implementation.

This handbook contains up-to-date existing structures, computer applications, and infonnation on planning, analysis, and design seismic design of wood structures. A new and very useful feature of this edition of earthquake-resistant building structures. Its intention is to provide engineers, architects, is the inclusion of a companion CD-ROM disc developers, and students of structural containing the complete digital version of the handbook itself and the following very engineering and architecture with authoritative, yet practical, design infonnation. It represents important publications: an attempt to bridge the persisting gap between l. UBC-IBC (1997-2000) Structural advances in the theories and concepts of Comparisons and Cross References, ICBO, earthquake-resistant design and their 2000. implementation in seismic design practice. 2. NEHRP Guidelines for the Seismic The distinguished panel of contributors is Rehabilitation of Buildings, FEMA-273, Federal Emergency Management Agency, composed of 22 experts from industry and universities, recognized for their knowledge and 1997. extensive practical experience in their fields. 3. NEHRP Commentary on the Guidelinesfor They have aimed to present clearly and the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings, FEMA-274, Federal Emergency concisely the basic principles and procedures pertinent to each subject and to illustrate with Management Agency, 1997. practical examples the application of these 4. NEHRP Recommended Provisions for principles and procedures in seismic design Seismic Regulations for New Buildings and practice. Where applicable, the provisions of Older Structures, Part 1 - Provisions, various seismic design standards such as mc FEMA-302, Federal Emergency 2000, UBC-97, FEMA-273/274 and ATC-40 Management Agency, 1997.