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In this session, we will explore sections of the code that apply to storage racks, silos, and tanks, along with pipelines and non-structural components. We will identify where the code relies on simplifying assumptions, understand the conditions under which those assumptions may break down, and learn what to scrutinize so you can achieve a robust, safe design even when the code provides limited explicit direction.
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Description
Seismic code clauses for industrial facilities were not all built the same way. Some are grounded in decades of testing. Others were written ahead of the data, filled in with simplified assumptions, and have never been seriously challenged by a real event. For engineers working on these structures, that distinction rarely appears in the code itself — you are expected to apply the clause as written, without knowing how much is proven and how much is an educated guess. This session maps that territory, so you know exactly where to be cautious, what the code is actually telling you, and what it is quietly leaving to your judgment.
Key Points
Distinguish which seismic provisions for industrial structures rest on validated evidence and which rely on assumptions that have not been tested against real seismic demand.
Navigate code clauses that are simplified, incomplete, or contradictory, and know how to reach a defensible design when the guidance runs out.
Understand what the experimental record actually looks like behind these clauses, including where physical testing came after the code was already written and what that means for the values you are currently using.
Benefit
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Speaker
Dr. Vamvatsikos is working on the performance and risk assessment of structures subject to natural and man-made hazards. He has co-operated with leading structural engineering firms, the oil industry, catastrophe risk modelers, and the insurance/reinsurance industry, and has co-authored guidelines for the Applied Technology Council, FEMA, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Global Earthquake Model Foundation.