2012 IBC

SEAOC STRUCTURAL/SEISMIC DESIGN MANUAL

®

Volume 2
EXAMPLES FOR LIGHT-FRAME, TILT-UP,
AND MASONRY BUILDINGS
 Copyright
Copyright © 2013 Structural Engineers Association of California. All rights reserved. This publication
or any part thereof must not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Structural
Engineers Association of California.

Publisher
Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC)
1400 K Street, Ste. 212
Sacramento, California 95814
Telephone: (916) 447-1198; Fax: (916) 444-1501
E-mail: [email protected]; Web address: www.seaoc.org

The Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) is a professional association of four regional
member organizations (Southern California, Northern California, San Diego, and Central California).
SEAOC represents the structural engineering community in California. This document is published in
keeping with SEAOC’s stated mission:

To advance the structural engineering profession; to provide the public with structures of
dependable performance through the application of state-of-the-art structural engineering
principles; to assist the public in obtaining professional structural engineering services; to
promote natural hazard mitigation; to provide continuing education and encourage research;
to provide structural engineers with the most current information and tools to improve their
practice; and to maintain the honor and dignity of the profession.

SEAOC Board oversight of this publication was provided by 2012 SEAOC Board President James
Amundson, S.E., and Immediate Past President Doug Hohbach, S.E.

Editor
International Code Council

Disclaimer
While the information presented in this document is believed to be correct, neither SEAOC nor its member
organizations, committees, writers, editors, or individuals who have contributed to this publication make
any warranty, expressed or implied, or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the use, application
of, and/or reference to opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations included in this publication.
The material presented in this publication should not be used for any specific application without competent
examination and verification of its accuracy, suitability, and applicability. Users of information from this
publication assume all liability arising from such use.

First Printing: September 2013

ii 2012 IBC SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual, Vol. 2

Suggestions for Improvement
Comments and suggestions for improvements are welcome and should be sent to the following:

Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC)

Don Schinske, Executive Director
1400 K Street, Suite 212
Sacramento, California 95814
Telephone: (916) 447-1198; Fax: (916) 444-1501
E-mail: [email protected]

Errata Notification
SEAOC has made a substantial effort to ensure that the information in this document is accurate. In
the event that corrections or clarifications are needed, these will be posted on the SEAOC web site at
www.seaoc.org and on the ICC web site at www.iccsafe.org.

SEAOC, at its sole discretion, may issue written errata.

2012 IBC SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual, Vol. 2 iii

 Table of Contents

Preface to the 2012 IBC SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Preface to Volume 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
How to Use This Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi

Design Example 1
Four-story Wood Light-frame Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Design Example 2
Flexible Diaphragm Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Design Example 3
Three Story Light-frame Multi-family Building Design Using Cold-formed Steel
Wall Framing and Wood Floor and Roof Framing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Design Example 4
Masonry Shear Wall Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Design Example 5
Tilt-up Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

2012 IBC SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual, Vol. 2 v

Preface to the 2012 IBC SEAOC Seismic/Structural
Design Manual
The IBC SEAOC Seismic/Structural Design Manual, throughout its many editions, has served the purpose
of illustrating good seismic design and the correct application of building-code provisions. The manual
has bridged the gap between the discursive treatment of topics in the SEAOC Blue Book (Recommended
Lateral Force Requirements and Commentary) and real-world decisions that designers face in their practice.

The examples illustrate code-compliant designs engineered to achieve good performance under severe
seismic loading. In some cases simply complying with building-code requirements does not ensure good
seismic response. This manual takes the approach of exceeding the minimum code requirements in such
cases, with discussion of the reasons for doing so.

Recent editions of the IBC SEAOC Seismic/Structural Design Manual have consisted of updates of previous
editions, modified to address changes in the building code and referenced standards. Many of the adopted
standards did not change between the 2006 edition of the International Building Code and the 2009 edition.
The 2012 edition, which is the one used in this set of manuals, represents an extensive change of adopted
standards, with many substantial changes in methodology.

Additionally, this edition has been substantially revised. New examples have been included to address new
code provisions and new systems, as well as to address areas in which the codes and standards provide
insufficient guidance. Important examples such as the design of base-plate anchorages for steel systems and
the design of diaphragms have been added.
This expanded edition comprises five volumes:

• Volume 1: Code Application Examples

• Volume 2: Examples for Light-Frame, Tilt-Up, and Masonry Buildings
• Volume 3: Examples for Reinforced Concrete Buildings
• Volume 4: Examples for Steel-Framed Buildings
• Volume 5: Examples for Seismically Isolated Buildings and Buildings with Supplemental Damping

Previous editions have been three volumes. This expanded edition contains more types of systems for
concrete buildings and steel buildings. These are no longer contained in the same volume. Volumes 3 and 4
of the 2012 edition replace Volume 3 of the 2009 edition. Additionally, we have fulfilled the long-standing
goal of including examples addressing seismic isolation and supplemental damping. These examples are
presented in the new Volume 5.
In general, the provisions for developing the design base shear, distributing the base-shear-forces vertically
and horizontally, checking for irregularities, etc., are illustrated in Volume 1. The other volumes contain
more extensive design examples that address the requirements of the material standards (for example, ACI
318 and AISC 341) that are adopted by the IBC. Building design examples do not illustrate many of the
items addressed in Volume 1 in order to permit the inclusion of less-redundant content.
Each volume has been produced by a small group of authors under the direction of a manager. The
managers have assembled reviewers to ensure coordination with other SEAOC work and publications, most
notably the Blue Book, as well as numerical accuracy.
This manual can serve as valuable tool for engineers seeking to design buildings for good seismic response.

Rafael Sabelli
Project Manager

2012 IBC SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual, Vol. 2 vii

Preface to Volume 2

Volume 2 of the 2012 IBC SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual addresses the design of light-frame,
concrete tilt-up, and masonry shear wall building systems for seismic loading. These include the illustration
of the design requirements for the shear walls and diaphragms, as were illustrated in previous editions, and
also important interfaces with the rest of the structure.

The design examples in this volume represent a range of structural systems and seismic systems. The
design of each of these systems is governed by standards developed by the American Concrete Institute
(ACI) and the American Wood Council (AWC). The methods illustrated herein represent approaches
consistent with the ductility expectations for each system and with the desired seismic response. In most
cases there are several details or mechanisms that can be utilized to achieve the ductility and resistance
required, and the author of each example has selected an appropriate option. In many cases alternatives are
discussed. This manual is not intended to serve as a building code, or to be an exhaustive catalogue of all
valid approaches and details.

This manual is presented as a set of examples in which the engineer has considered the building-code
requirements in conjunction with the optimal seismic response of the system. The examples follow the
guidelines of the SEAOC Blue Book and other SEAOC recommendations. The examples are intended
to aid conscientious designers in crafting designs that are likely to achieve good seismic performance
consistent with expectations inherent in the requirements for the systems.

Four examples have been included in past editions of this manual and are updated in this edition: four-story
wood light-frame structure, light-gage framed building on podium structure, masonry shear wall building,
and tilt-up building with windows. One example—wood diaphragm—is new and is included in this edition
of the manual.

Douglas Thompson
Volume 2 Manager

2012 IBC SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual, Vol. 2 ix