Seismic Evaluation & Building Code
From code accelerations to design spectrum, design category and base shear.
Applies ASCE 7-16 site coefficients to the mapped accelerations, builds the design response spectrum, assigns the seismic design category, computes the equivalent-lateral-force base shear, maps nearby active faults with a deterministic scenario, and checks liquefaction with the Youd et al. (2001) method.
Overview
Enter SS and S1 from your national code map, or let the fault scenario give a screening estimate. Site class, risk category and lateral-force system then lead to SDS, SD1, the spectrum, the design category, system restrictions and the base shear.
Active faults come from the GEM Global Active Faults Database. For the nearest faults the tool estimates a characteristic magnitude from rupture length and a median PGA at your site class, a quick check against the code values.
What you enter · What you get
What you enter
- Site location (GPS, map or coordinates)
- Mapped SS, S1 and TL
- Site class A–F and risk category I–IV
- Lateral-force system, height and seismic weight
- SPT (N1)60, fines, water table and magnitude for liquefaction
What you get
- Fa, Fv, SDS, SD1, T0, Ts
- Design and MCE response spectra
- Seismic design category and system checks
- Period Ta, Cs and base shear V
- Nearest active faults with scenario PGA
- Liquefaction factor of safety
How it works in the field
Method and equations
Design accelerations
ASCE 7-16 Tables 11.4-1 and 11.4-2 with linear interpolation.
Equivalent lateral force
ASCE 7-16 §12.8 with the approximate period and the code limits on Cs.
Fault scenario
Wells & Coppersmith (1994) magnitude from surface rupture length; Boore, Joyner & Fumal (1997) median PGA.
Liquefaction triggering
Simplified procedure of Seed & Idriss as updated by Youd et al. (2001).
Who uses it
Standards and references
- ASCE/SEI 7-16. Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures. American Society of Civil Engineers.
- Youd, T.L. et al. (2001). Liquefaction resistance of soils: summary report from the 1996 NCEER and 1998 NCEER/NSF workshops. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 127(10), 817–833.
- Wells, D.L. & Coppersmith, K.J. (1994). New empirical relationships among magnitude, rupture length, rupture width, rupture area, and surface displacement. BSSA, 84(4), 974–1002.
- Boore, D.M., Joyner, W.B. & Fumal, T.E. (1997). Equations for estimating horizontal response spectra and peak acceleration from western North American earthquakes. SRL, 68(1), 128–153.
- Styron, R. & Pagani, M. (2020). The GEM Global Active Faults Database. Earthquake Spectra, 36(1_suppl), 160–180.
At a glance
- Category
- Engineering & geotechnics
- Runs on
- Phone, tablet and desktop browser
- Export
- CSV of nearest faults, PNG spectrum, PDF report
- Access
- Subscribers
Run this survey on your next site
All 29 tools, report export and the AI assistant come with one subscription.