Evolution of the NBCC seismic provisions for operational and functional components in buildings

This paper provides a summary of the evolution of the Canadian seismic design provisions for operational and functional components (OFCs) in buildings. The evolution of horizontal seismic force and displacement requirements in the National Building Code of Canada is presented and significant changes and parameters are discussed. Numerical examples illustrate the seismic design force levels as stipulated in recent editions of the NBCC for architectural, mechanical and electrical components attached at different elevations to buildings located in moderate and high seismic zones in Canada. Also, the seismic design force levels, computed according to different editions of the NBCC, are compared for a mechanical component and for an architectural component attached to buildings located in Vancouver. Key words: Operational and functional components, non-structural elements, National Building Code of Canada, seismic force, seismic acceleration, seismic displacement, seismic riskThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author