Seventh

NATIONAL
Edition

STRUCTURAL CODE
OF THE PHILIPPINES
(NSCP), 2015
Volume 1
Buildings, Towers, and Other
Vertical Structures

Group 2: Aldon Bilagot, Cloue Juliana Bautista, Mariel Chulwa, Anaflor Demetria, Maybel Waya
History of National Structural Code of the Philippines

National Structural Code of

the Philippines
• This provides minimum design
requirements for building
components to safeguard life
against disasters. It was first
published in 1970 and
revised in 2015. The NSCP
consists of 2 volumes, with
Volume 1 covering buildings
and Volume 2 covering bridges.
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS
Section 101: Title, Purpose and Scope

National Structural Code of Association of Structural

the Philippines Engineers of the
- a referral code of Presidential Philippines, Inc. (ASEP)
Decree No. 1096 (National Building - is the recognized organization of
Code of the Philippines) that Structural Engineers of the
consists of standard specification Philippines Established in 1961.
on the materials and its - known for its publication and
components that will ensure that revision of NSCP.
building or structures can
withstand strong disasters like
earthquakes, typhoons, landslides,
and other calamities.
Section 101:
Section 101: Title,Title,
PurposePurpose
and Scopeand Scope

Purpose Scope
- to provide minimum - apply to the construction,
requirements for the design of alteration, moving, demolition,
buildings, towers, and other repair, maintenance, and use of
vertical structures, and minimum buildings, towers, and other
standards and guidelines to vertical structures within this
safeguard life or limb, property and jurisdiction.
public welfare by regulating and
controlling the design, construction,
quality of materials pertaining to
the structural aspects of all
buildings and structures within this
jurisdiction.
Section 103: Classification of Structures

Nature of occupancy
• Classification of buildings and other structures

• The classification for each independent

structural system of a multiple-use building or
other structure shall be that of the highest
usage group in any part of the building or
other structure that is dependent on that basic
structural system.
Section 103: Classification of Structures

Occupancy Category
1. Essential Facilities
2. Hazardous Facilities
3. Special Occupancy Structures
4. Standard Occupancy Structure
5. Miscellaneous Structures
Section 103: Classification of Structures

Occupancy or Function of Structure

1. Essential Facilities
• Occupancies having surgery and emergency treatment areas,
• Fire and police stations,
• Garages and shelters in emergency vehicles and emergency aircraft,
• Aviation control towers,
• Structures and equipment in communication centers and other facilities
required for emergency response,
• Facilities for standby power-generating equipment for Category 1
structures,
• Tanks or other structures containing housing or supporting water or
other fire-suppression material or equipment required for the protection
of Category I, II or III, IV and V structures,
Section 103: Classification of Structures

Occupancy or Function of Structure

1. Essential Facilities
• Public school buildings,
• Hospitals,
• Designated evacuation centers and,
• Power and communication transmission lines.

Hospital: R2TMC Public Schools Fire Station: Bayombong

Section 103: Classification of Structures

Occupancy or Function of Structure

2. Hazardous Facilities
• Occupancies and structures housing or supporting toxic or explosive
chemicals or substances,
• Non-building structures storing, supporting or containing quantities of
toxic or explosive substances.

Oil Refinery: Petron Bataan

Fireworks Factory Refinery
Section 103: Classification of Structures

Occupancy or Function of Structure

3. Special Occupancy Structure
• Buildings with an assembly room with an occupant capacity of 1,000 or
more,
• Educational buildings such as museums, libraries, auditorium with a
capacity of 300 or more occupants,
• Institutional buildings with 50 or more incapacitated patients, but not
included in Category I,
• Mental hospitals, sanitariums, jails, prisons and other buildings where
personal liberties of innates are similarly restrained,
• Mental hospitals, sanitariums, jails, prisons and other buildings where
personal liberties of innates are similarly restrained,
Section 103: Classification of Structures

Occupancy or Function of Structure

3. Special Occupancy Structure
• Churches, Mosques, and other religion facilities,
• All structures with an occupancy of 5,000 or more persons,

Museum Mosque Library

Section 103: Classification of Structures

Occupancy or Function of Structure

4. Standard Occupancy Structure
• All structures housing occupancies or having functions not listed in
Category I, II, or III and V.

Residential Houses Apartments

Section 103: Classification of Structures

Occupancy or Function of Structure

5. Miscellaneous Structure
• Private garages, carports, shed sand fences over 1.5m high.
Section 104: Design Requirements

Strength Requirement Serviceability Requirement

• Design shall be in accordance • Structural systems and members
with the Strength Design, Load thereof shall be designed to have
and Resistance Factor Design adequate stiffness to limit
and Allowance Strength deflections, lateral drifts,
Design methods, as permitted vibration, or any other
by the applicable material deformations that adversely affect
chapters. the intended use and performance
of buildings, towers, and other
vertical structures.
Section 104: Design Requirements

Serviceability Requirement Self-Straining Forces

• Design shall also consider • Every structure shall be designed
durability, resistance to to resist the overturning effects
exposure to weather or caused by the lateral forces
aggressive environment, crack specified with adequate Factor of
control, and other conditions Safety (FOS).
that affect the intended use and
performance of buildings, - Retaining walls, Wind Loading,
towers and other vertical Earthquake Loading
structures.
Section 104: Design Requirements

Self-Straining Forces Anchorage

• Provisions shall be made for • Anchorage of the roof to walls and
anticipated self-straining forces columns, and shall be provided and
arising from differential adequately detailed to resist the
settlement of foundations and uplift and sliding forces that
from restrained dimensional result from the application of the
changed due to temperature, prescribed forces.
moisture, shrinkage, heave, creep,
and similar effects.
Section 104: Design Requirements

Earthquake-Recording Instrumentation
Location Maintenance
• The instrument shall be located • Maintenance and service of the
in the basement, midpoint, instruments shall be provided by
and near the top of the the owner of the building, subject
building. to the monitoring of the Building
• It is located so that access is Official.
maintained at all times and is • Data produced by the instruments
unobstructed by room contents. shall be made available to the
• “MAINTAIN CLEAR ACCESS TO Building Official or any authorized
THIS INSTRUMENT’ shall be agency upon request.
posted in conspicuous location
Section 106: Specification, Drawings, and Calculations

Design Drawings
 Copies of design calculations, reports, • Shall be drawn to scale on
plans, specifications and inspection durable paper or cloth using
program for all constructions shall bear permanent ink and shall be
the signature and seal of the engineer-
of-record.
sufficient clarity to indicate the
location, nature and extent of the
• The specifications shall contain work proposed.
information covering the material and • Show a complete design with
construction requirements. The sizes, sections, relative locations,
materials and construction requirements and connections details of the
shall conform to the specifications
referred to in Chapter 1 to 7 in this code.
carious members.
• Floor levels, column centers
and offsets shall be
dimensioned.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

Types of Work Inspection

1. Concrete
- During the taking of test specimens
and placing concrete.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

Types of Work Inspection

2. Bolts Installed in Concrete
• Prior to and during the placement
of concrete around bolts when
stress increases permitted by
Section 426 are utilized.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

Types of Work Inspection

3. Special Moment-Resisting
Concrete Frame

• For special moment-resisting

concrete frame design seismic load
in structures within Seismic Zone
4, the structural inspector shall
provide reports to the engineer-of-
record and shall provide
continuous inspection of the
placement of the reinforcement
and concrete.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

4. Reinforcing Steel and Prestressing

Steel Tendons
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

5. Structural Welding

• During the welding of any member or

connection that is designed to resist loads
and forces required by this code.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

6. High-Strength Bolts
• The structural inspector shall
determine that the requirements for
bolts, nuts, washers and paint; bolted
parts; and installation and tightening
in such standards are met.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

7. Structural Masonry
 For masonry, other than dully grouted open-
end hollow-unit masonry, during the
preparation and taking of any required prisms
or test specimens, placing of all masonry
units, placement of reinforcement, inspection
or grout space, immediately prior to closing of
cleanouts, and during all grouting operations.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

8. Reinforced Gypsum
9. Insulating Concrete Fill
Concrete
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

10. Spray- Applied Fire-Resistive

Materials
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

11. Piling, Drilled Piers, and Caissons

Concrete Piling
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

11. Piling, Drilled Piers, and Caissons

Drilled Piers
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

11. Piling, Drilled Piers, and Caissons

Caisson
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

12. Shotcrete
• During the taking of test specimens and planning of all shotcrete.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

13. Special Grading, Excavation, and Filling

Land Grading
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

13. Special Grading, Excavation, and Filling

Excavation
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

13. Special Grading, Excavation, and Filling

Filling
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

Special Cases
• Work that, in the opinion of structural engineer, involved
unusual hazards or conditions.
Section 107: Structural Inspections, Tests, and Structural Observations

Prefabricated Construction
• The purpose of this section is to
regulate materials and establish
methods of safe construction
where any structure or portion
thereof is wholly or partially
fabricated.
 Chapter 2
MINIMUM DESIGN
LOADS
• Provides minimum design
load requirements for the
design of buildings, towers,
and other vertical structures.
Section 202: Definitions

• Loads – are forces or other • Dead Loads – consists of the

actions that result from the weight of all materials and
weight of all building fixed equipment incorporated
materials, occupants, and their into the building or other
possessions, environmental structures.
effects, differential movements,
and restrained dimensional • Live Loads – loads produced
changes. by the use of occupancy of the
building or other structure and
do not include dead load,
construction load, or
environmental load.
Section 203: Combinations of Loads

Symbols and Notations

D Dead load
E Earthquake load set
Em Estimated maximum earthquake force
F Load due to fluids with well-defined pressures and maximum heights
H Load due to lateral pressure of soil and water in soil
L Live load, except for roof live load, any permitted live load reduction
Lr Roof live load, any permitted live load reduction
P Ponding load
R Rain load on the undeflected roof
Section 203: Combinations of Loads

Symbols and Notations

T Self-straining force and effects arising from contraction or expansion
resulting from temperature change, shrinkage, moisture change, creep
in component materials, movement due to differential settlement, or
combinations thereof
W Load due to wind pressure
f1 1.0 floors in places assembly, for live loads in excess of 4.8 kPa, and for
garage live load, or
0.5 for other live loads
Em Maximum effect of horizontal and vertical forces
Section 204: Dead Loads

• Dead Loads –
consists of the weight
of all materials of
construction
incorporated into the
building or other
structure, including
to walls, floors, roofs,
ceilings, stairways,
built-in partitions,
finishes, cladding,
and others.
Section 204: Dead Loads

• Partition Loads –
floors in office
buildings and other
buildings where
partition locations
are subject to change
shall be designed to
support
Section 205: Live Loads

• Live Loads – shall be the

maximum loads expected by
the intended use or occupancy
but in no case shall be less than
the loads required.

• Roof Live Load – shall be

designed for the unit live loads
(Lr)
Section 206: Other Minimal Loads

• Other Loads – buildings and • Impact Loads – loads for

other structures and portions cranes, and for heliport and
shall be designed to resist all helistop landing areas
loads due to applicable fluid - structural design for uses
pressure (F), lateral soil and loads that involve unusual
pressure (H), ponding loads vibration and impact forces.
(P), and self-straining forces
(T)

Heliport
Section 206: Other Minimal Loads

• Elevators
• Machinery
• Anchorage of Concrete and Masonry Walls
• Interior Wall Loads
• Retaining Walls
• Water Accumulation
• Uplift on Floors and Foun dations
• Crane Loads
• Heliport and Helistop Landing Areas
Section 207: Wind Loads

Scope
• Buildings and other structures, including the Main Wind-Force
Resisting System (MWFRS) and all components and cladding
(C&C), shall be designed and constructed to resist the wind loads.
Section 207A: Wind Loads

Main Wind-Force Resisting System (MWFRS)

• assemblage of structural elements to provide support and stability
for the overall structure.”

Following Procedures:
1. Directional Procedure for buildings of all height
2. Envelope Procedure for low-rise buildings
3. Direction Procedure for Building Appurtenances (rooftop structures
and rooftop equipment) and Other Structures (such as solid
freestanding walls and solid freestanding signs, chimneys, tanks, open
signs, lattice, frameworks, and trussed towers)
4. Wind Tunnel Procedure for all building and other structures
Section 207A: Wind Loads

Components and Cladding (C&C)

• elements of the building envelope that do not qualify as part of the
MWFRS

Following Procedures:
1. Analytical Procedures
2. Wind Tunnel Procedure
Section 207A: Wind Loads

Wind Hazard Map

• Basic Wind Speed (V) – used in the determination of design wind
loads on buildings and other structures shall be determined from
Wind Hazard Map.
 The wind shall be assumed to come from any horizontal
direction.
Exposure
• For each wind direction considered, the upwind exposure shall be
based on ground surface roughness that is determined from
natural topography, vegetation, and constructed facilities.
Section 207A: Wind Loads
Surface Roughness Categories
• Surface Roughness B – urban and suburban areas, wooded areas,
or other terrain with numerous closely spaced obstructions having
the size of single-family dwellings or larger.

Urban Areas Suburban Areas

Section 207A: Wind Loads
Surface Roughness Categories
• Surface Roughness C – open terrain with scattered obstruction
having heights generally less than 9m.
- includes flat open country and grasslands

Grasslands
Section 207A: Wind Loads

Surface Roughness Categories

• Surface Roughness D – flat, unobstructed areas and water surfaces.
- includes smooth and mud flats, salt flats and unbroken ice.

Mud Flat in Korea

Section 207A: Wind Loads

Exposure Categories
• Exposure B – for buildings with a mean roof height of less than or
equal to 9m; shall apply where the ground surface roughness,
prevails in the upwind direction for a greater distance than 450 m.

- for buildings with a mean roof height greater than 9m; shall
apply where Surface Roughness B prevails in the upwind direction
for a distance greater then 790m or 20 times the height of the
building, whichever is greater.
Section 207A: Wind Loads

Exposure Categories
• Exposure C – shall apply for all cases where Exposure B or D do not
apply.
• Exposure D – shall apply where the ground surface roughness D
prevails in the upwind direction for a distance greater than 1500m
or 20 times the building height, whichever is greater.
- shall also apply where the ground surface roughness
immediately upwind of the site is exposure B or C, and the site is
within a distance of 180 m or 20 times the building height, whichever
is greater from an Exposure D condition.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Purpose Minimum Seismic Design

• To design seismic-resistant • Structures and portions, as a
structures to safeguard against minimum, be designed and
major structural damage that constructed to resist the effects of
may lead to loss of life and seismic ground motions.
property.

 These provisions are not

intended to assure zero-damage
to structures nor maintain their
functionality after a severe
earthquake.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Basis for Design Occupancy Categories

• The procedures and the • For purposes of earthquake-
limitations of the design of resistant design, each structure
structures shall be determined shall be placed in one of the
considering seismic zoning, site occupancy categories.
characteristics, occupancy,
configuration, structural system, 1. Essential Facilities
and height. 2. Hazardous Facilities
3. Special Occupancy Structures
 The minimum design strength 4. Standard Occupancy Structures
shall be based on the Design 5. Miscellaneous Structures
Seismic Forces.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Soil Profile Type

Soil Profile Type Soil Profile Name/ Generic Description
SA Hard rock
SB Rock
SC Very dense soil and soft rock
SD Stiff soil profile
SE1 Soft soil profile
SF Soil requiring site-specific evaluation
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Soil Profile Type

• Soils Requiring Site-Specific Evaluation

1. Soils vulnerable to potential failure or collapse under seismic loading

such as liquefiable soils quick and highly sensitive clays and
collapsible weakly cemented soils.
2. Peats and/or highly organic clays, where the thickness of peat or
highly organic clay exceeds 3.0m.
3. Very high plasticity clays with a plasticity index, where the depth of
the clay exceeds 7.5 m.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Soil Profile Type

• Soils Requiring Site-Specific Evaluation

4. Very thick soft/medium still clays, where the depth of clay exceeds
35m.
5. If the site corresponds to these criteria, the site shall be classified as
Soil Profile Type SF and a site-specific evaluation shall be conducted.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Site Seismic Hazard Characteristics

• Seismic hazard characteristics
for the site shall be established
based on the seismic zone and
proximity of the site to active
seismic sources, site soil profile
characteristics and structure’s
importance factor.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Seismic Zones
Two Seismic Zones in the
Philippines:

1. Zone 2 – covers the provinces

of Palawan (except Busuanga),
Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
2. Zone 4 – rest of the country
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Seismic Source Types

Seismic Source Seismic Source Description Seismic Source
Type Definition
Maximum Moment
Magnitude, M
A Faults that are capable of producing large 7.0 ≤ M ≤ 8.4
magnitude events and that have a high rate of
seismic activity.
B All faults other than Types A and C. 6.5 ≤ M ≤ 7.0
C Faults that are not capable of producing large M ≤ 6.5
magnitude earthquakes and that have a
relatively low rate of seismic activity.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Configuration Requirements
• Each structure shall be
designed as being structurally
regular or irregular.

1. Regular Structures
• Have no significant physical
discontinuities in plan or
vertical configuration or in
their lateral-force-resisting
systems such as the irregular
features.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Configuration Requirements
• Each structure shall be
designed as being structurally
regular or irregular.

2. Irregular Structures
• Have significant physical
discontinuities in configuration. All
structures in occupancy categories
4 and 5 in seismic zone 2 need to be
evaluated only for vertical
irregularities of type 5 and
horizontal irregularities of type 1.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Irregularity Types: Vertical Structural Irregularities

1. Stiffness Irregularity – Soft Storey
- A soft storey is one in which the lateral stiffness is less than 70% of that in
the storey above or less than 80% of the average stiffness of the three
stories above.

2. Weight (Mass) Irregularity – shall be considered to exist where the

effective mass of any storey is more than 150% of the effective mass of an
adjacent storey.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Structural Systems
1. Bearing Wall System (Bracing System)
- a structural system without a complete vertical load-carrying space
frame.
- provide support for all or most gravity loads.
- resistance to lateral load is provided by shear walls or braced frames.

Bracing System
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Structural Systems
2. Building Frame System
- a structural system with an essentially complete space frame
providing support for gravity loads.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Structural Systems
3. Moment-Resisting Frame System
- with an essentially complete space frame providing support for
gravity loads.
- Moment-resisting provide resistance to lateral load primarily by
flexural action of members.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Structural Systems
4. Dual System
- an essentially complete space that provides support for gravity
loads.
- resistance to lateral loads and moment-resisting frames (SMFR,
IMRF, MMRFWF, or steel OMRF); shall be designed to independently resist
at least 25% of the design base shear.
- shall be designed to resist the total design base shear in proportion to
their relative rigidities considering the interaction of the dual system at all
levels.
Section 208: Earthquake Loads

Structural Systems: Dual System

a. Cantilevered Column System – b. Undefined Structural System –
relies on the cantilevered column structures not listed in
elements for lateral resistance. Earthquake-Force-Resisting
Structural System of Concrete.
c. Non-building Structural
System – structural system
conforming to Seismic Coefficient
d. Height Limits – height limits for
the various structural system in
Seismic Zone 4 are given in
Earthquake-Force-Resisting
Structural System of Concrete.
Section 209: Soil Lateral Loads

• Basement, foundation, and retaining walls shall be designed to resist

lateral soil loads.

o Design lateral soil loads are given for moist conditions for the specifies
soils at their optimum densities. Actual field conditions shall govern.
Submerged or saturated soil pressures shall include the weight of the
buoyant soil plus the hydrostatic loads.
o Unsuitable as backfill material.
o The definition and classification of soil materials shall be in accordance
with ASTM D 2487.
Section 210: Rain Loads

Roof Drainage
• Shall be designed in
accordance with the provisions
of the code having jurisdiction
in the area.

 The flow capacity of secondary

(overflow) drains or scuppers
shall not be less than that of
the primary drains or
scuppers.
Section 211: Flood Loads

• Within flood hazard areas, all

new construction of
buildings, structures, and
portions of buildings and
structures, including
substantial improvement and
restoration of substantial
damage to buildings and
structures, shall be designed
and constructed to resist the
effects of flood hazards and
flood loads.
Section 211: Flood Loads

1. Design Loads 2. Erosion and Scour

- structural systems of - effects of erosion and
buildings or other structures shall scour shall be included in the
be designed, constructed, calculation of loads on buildings
connected, and anchored to resist and other structures in flood
flotation, collapse, and permanent hazards areas.
lateral displacement due to action
of flood loads associated with he
design flood and other loads in
accordance with the load
combination.
Section 211: Flood Loads

3. Loads on Breakaway 4. Loads During

Walls Flooding
- the loading at which a. Hydrostatic Loads
breakaway walls are intended to b. Hydrodynamic Loads
collapse shall not exceed 0.96 kPa c. Wave Loads
unless design meets the
conditions.
 Chapter 3
EARTHWORKS AND
FOUNDATIONS

• This chapter set forth requirements

for excavations, fills, footings, and
foundations for any building or
structure.
 Chapter 4
STRUCTURAL
CONCRETE
• This chapter addresses the general
requirements, purpose, applicability,
interpretation of this chapter, definition
of building official and the licensed
design professional, construction
documents, testing and inspection,
approval of special systems of design,
construction, or alternative
construction materials.
 Chapter 5
STRUCTURAL STEEL
• This chapter sets forth criteria for the
design, fabrication, and erection of
structural steel buildings and other
structures, where other structured are
defines as those structures designed,
fabricated, and erected in a manner
similar to buildings, with building-like
vertical and lateral loads resisting
elements.
 Chapter 6
WOOD
• The provisions of this
chapter shall govern the
materials, design,
construction, and quality of
wood members and their
fasteners.
 Chapter 7
MASONRY
• The materials, design,
construction and quality
assurance of masonry shall
be in accordance with this
chapter.