Gratitude

In appreciation and gratitude to The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Prime Minister
King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
And to the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and
Inspector General
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
For their continuous support and gracious consideration,
The Saudi Building Code National Committee is honored to present the first issue of
The Saudi Building Code (SBC).

SBC 301 2007 1/1

 Saudi Building Code Requirements

201 Architectural

301 Structural – Loading and Forces

302 Structural – Testing and Inspection
303 Structural – Soil and Foundations
304 Structural – Concrete Structures
305 Structural – Masonry Structures
306 Structural – Steel Structures
401 Electrical

501 Mechanical

601 Energy Conservation

701 Sanitary
801 Fire Protection
901 Existing Buildings

SBC 301 2007 Loading and Forces /1

 PREFACE

PREFACE

The Saudi Building Code (SBC) is a set of legal, administrative and technical
regulations and requirements that specify the minimum standards of construction for building
in order to ensure public safety and health. A Royal Decree dated 11th June 2000 order the
formation of a national committee composed of representatives of Saudi universities and
governmental and private sectors. In September 2001, the Council of Ministers approved the
general plan of the National Committee to develop a unified building code for the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia.

To choose a base code for the Saudi Building Code a number of Codes have been
studied. The National Committee has been acquainted with the results of the national
researches and the international codes from the U.S.A., Canada and Australia also the
European Code, and Arab Codes. It has also sought the opinions of specialists in relevant
Saudi universities, governmental and private sectors through holding a questionnaire, a
symposium and specialized workshops, in the light of which, (ICC) has been chosen to be a
base code for the Saudi Building Code.

The International Code Council (ICC) grants permission to the Saudi Building Code
National Committee (SBCNC) to include all or any portion of material from the ICC codes,
and standards in the SBC and ICC is not responsible or liable in any way to SBCNC or to any
other party or entity for any modifications or changes that SBCNC makes to such documents.

Toward expanding the participation of all the specialists in the building and
construction industry in the Kingdom through the governmental and private sectors, the
universities and research centers, the National Committee took its own decisions related to
code content by holding specialized meetings, symposiums and workshops and by the help of
experts from inside and outside of Saudi Arabia.

The technical committees and sub-committees started their work in the beginning of
April 2003 to prepare the general framework of the Saudi Building Code that adapts the base
code with the social and cultural environment, the natural and climatic conditions, types of
soil and properties of materials in the Kingdom. It was approved by the Council of Ministers
Decree No. 279 dated 19 December 2004. Then, the technical committees and the sub-
committees started preparing the technical requirements for the code.

The Saudi Building Code requirements for Design Loads for Buildings and Structures
(SBC 301) were developed based on the standards of the American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE). The American Society of Civil Engineers, through its Structural Engineering
Institute (ASCE/SEI), grants permission to the SBCNC to utilize as reference ASCE 7-02 and
ASCE 7-05 in the SBC and to include within the SBC provisions and materials from ASCE 7-
02 and ASCE 7-05 modified by SBCNC. ASCE/SEI is not responsible for any modifications
or changes that SBCNC has made to the provisions to accommodate local conditions.

The development process of SBC 301 followed the methodology approved by the
Saudi Building Code National Committee. Many changes and modifications were made and
the most important one was adding the seismic contour maps for Saudi Arabia and some parts
and items relating to seismic design outside the intensity of the seismic belt of the Kingdom
have been deleted. Only SI Units were used through out the Code.

SBC 301 2007 Preface/1

 NATIONAL COMMITTEE

The Saudi Building Code National Committee

Mohammad H. Al-Nagadi, MSc. Chairman
Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs

Mohammad S. Al-Haddad, PhD. Vice Chairman

King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology

Nabil A. Molla, MSc. Member

Saudi Arabian Standards Organization

Khalid M. Qattan, PhD. Member

Ministry of Interior

Abdul-Ghani H. Al-Harbi, BSc. Member

Ministry of Transportation

Ahmad A. Al-Yousef, BSc. Member

Ministry of Water and Electricity

Tamim A. Samman, PhD. Member

King Abdul-Aziz University

Rajeh Z. Al-Zaid, PhD. Member

King Saud University

Mustafa Y. Al-Mandil, PhD. Member

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Tariq M. Nahhas, PhD. Member

Umm Al-Qura University

Ali O. Al-Zaid, BSc. Member

Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry

Former Members of the Saudi Building Code National Committee

Khalid Y. Al-Khalaf, PhD. Chairman

Saudi Arabian Standards Organization 1423 up to 1426H
Abdul-Aziz A. Al-Abdul-Karim, BSc. Member
Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs

Ahmad A. Al-Johdali, BSc. Member

Ministry of Transportation

SBC 301 2007 National Committee/1

 CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

The Consultative Committee

Ali O. Al-Zaid, BSc. Chairman

Member of the Saudi Building Code National Committee

Rajeh Z. Al-Zaid, PhD. Vice Chairman

Member of the Saudi Building Code National Committee

Siraj M. Mas'oudi, MSc. Member

Saudi Arabian Standards Organization

Mustafa Y. Al-Mandil, PhD. Member

Member of the Saudi Building Code National Committee

Ali A. Shash, PhD. Member

Head of the Administrative and Legal Technical Committee

Abdul-Rahman A. Al-Tassan, PhD. Member

Head of the Architectural Technical Committee

Ahmad B. Al-Shuraim, PhD. Member

Head of the Structural Technical Committee

Abdul-Hameed A. Al-Ohaly, PhD. Member

Head of the Electrical Technical Committee

Ala'uddin Shibl, PhD. Member

Head of the Mechanical Technical Committee

Ibrahim S. Al-Jadhai, PhD. Member

Head of the Sanitary Technical Committee

Abdullah I. Al-Boeis, BSc. Member

Head of the Fire Protection Technical Committee

Tariq A. Al-Khalifa, PhD. Member

Head of the Seismic Requirements Technical Committee

Secretariat General of the Saudi Building Code National Committee

Mohammad A. Bin-Hussien, PhD. Former Secretary
Former Secretary General

Mohammed G. Al-Najrani, BSc. Acting Secretary

Acting Secretary General

Fuad A. Bukhari, Arch. Coordinator

Director of Technical Affairs – SBCNC

SBC 301 2007 Consultative Committee /1

 TECHNIAL COMMITTEE

The Saudi Building Code Structural Technical Committee

(SBC-STC)

Ahmed B. Shuraim, PhD. Chairman

King Saud University
Hani H. Alnabulsi, BSc. Member
Ministry of Interior – Directorate of Civil Defence
Faisal A. Al-Mashary, PhD. Member
Ministry of Higher Education
Magdy Kamel Moustafa, PhD. Member
Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs
Saleh H. Alsayed, PhD. Member
King Saud University
Abdulaziz I. Al-Negheimish, PhD. Member
King Saud University
Mosleh A. Al-Shamrani, PhD. Member
King Saud University
Yousef A. Al-Salloum, PhD. Member
King Saud University
Abdulsalam A. Alshogeir, PhD. Member
King Saud University
Ahmad O. AlQasabi, PhD. Member
King Saud University
Saeid A. Alghamdi, PhD. Member
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
Nabeel S. Al-Gahtani, PhD. Member
Saline Water Conversion Corporation
Faisal Omar Binsiddiq, BSc. Member
Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu
Khaled M. Al-Sheref, BSc. Member
Saudi Aramco
Mohammed G. Najrani, BSc. Coordinator
Saudi Building Code National Committee

SBC 301 2007 Technical Committee/1

 SUB-COMMITTEE

The Loading Technical Sub-Committee

Ahmed B. Shuraim, PhD. ** Chairman

King Saud University

Rajeh Z. Al-Zaid, PhD. Member

King Saud University

Mohammed S. Al-Haddad, PhD. ** Member

King Saud University

Saleh I. Al-Deghaiter, PhD. ** Member

King Saud University

Rais M. Mirza, MSc. ** Member

King Saud University

Ali H. Al-Ghadib, PhD. Member

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Muhammad Kalimur Rahman, PhD. Member

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Nabil M. Jundi, PhD. Member

Rasheed Engineering

Khaled M. Al-Sheref, BSc. Member

Saudi Aramco

** Member of Sub-Committee that prepared and edited this document.

SBC 301 2007 Sub-Committee /1

 CONTENTS

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: GENERAL
1.1 Scope
1.2 Definitions
1.3 Construction Documents
1.4 Basic Requirements
1.5 General Structural Integrity
1.6 Classification of Buildings and Other Structures
1.7 Additions and Alterations to Existing Structures
1.8 Load Tests
1.9 Anchorage

CHAPTER 2: COMBINATION OF LOADS

2.1 General
2.2 Symbols and Notations
2.3 Combining Factored Loads Using Strength Design
2.4 Combining Nominal Loads Using Allowable Stress Design
2.5 Special Seismic Load Combinations
2.6 Load Combinations for Extraordinary Events

CHAPTER 3: DEAD LOADS

3.1 Definition
3.2 Weights of Materials and Constructions
3.3 Weight of Fixed Service Equipment

CHAPTER 4: LIVE LOADS

4.1 Definition
4.2 Uniformly Distributed Loads
4.3 Concentrated Loads
4.4 Loads on Handrails, Guardrail Systems, Grab Bar Systems,
Vehicle Barrier Systems, and Fixed Ladders
4.5 Loads Not Specified
4.6 Partial Loading
4.7 Impact Loads
4.8 Reduction in Live Loads
4.9 Minimum Roof Live Loads
4.10 Crane Loads
4.11 Interior Walls and Partitions

CHAPTER 5: SOIL AND HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE AND FLOOD LOADS

5.1 Pressure on Basement Walls
5.2 Uplift on Floors and Foundations
5.3 Flood Loads

CHAPTER 6: WIND LOAD CRITERIA

6.1 General
6.2 Definitions
6.3 Symbols and Notations
6.4 Basic Wind Parameters
6.5 Importance Factor
SBC 301 2007 Contents/1
 CONTENTS

6.6 Enclosure Classifications

CHAPTER 7: DESIGN WIND LOAD PROCEDURES

7.1 Method 1 – Simplified Procedure
7.2 Method 2 – Analytical Procedure
7.3 Method 3 – Wind-Tunnel Procedure

CHAPTER 8: RAIN LOADS

8.1 Symbols and Notations
8.2 Roof Drainage
8.3 Design Rain Loads
8.4 Ponding Instability
8.5 Controlled Drainage

CHAPTER 9: SEISMIC DESIGN CRITERIA

9.1 General
9.2 Definitions
9.3 Symbols and Notations
9.4 Seismic Ground Motion Values
9.5 Occupancy Importance Factor
9.6 Seismic Design Category

CHAPTER 10: SEISMIC DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDING STRUCTURES

10.1 Structural Design Basis
10.2 Structural System Selection
10.3 Diaphragm Flexibility, Configuration Irregularities and Redundancy
10.4 Seismic Load Effects and Combinations
10.5 Direction of Loading
10.6 Analysis Procedures
10.7 Index Force Analysis Procedure for Seismic Design of Buildings
10.8 Simplified Analysis Procedure for Seismic Design of Buildings
10.9 Equivalent Lateral Force Procedure
10.10 Modal Analysis Procedure
10.11 Design and Detailing Requirements
10.12 Deflection, Drift Limits, and Building Separation
10.13 Foundation Design Requirements
10.14 Supplementary Methods of Analysis

CHAPTER 11: MATERIAL SPECIFIC SEISMIC DESIGN AND DETAILING

REQUIREMENTS
11.1 Steel
11.2 Structural concrete
11.3 Composite structures
11.4 Masonry

CHAPTER 12: SEISMIC DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-STRUCTURAL

COMPONENTS
12.1 General
12.2 Architectural Component Design
12.3 Mechanical and Electrical Component Design

SBC 301 2007 Contents/2