Design Guide Volume 1: City of Los Angeles Mandatory Earthquake Hazard Reduction in Existing Non-Ductile Concrete Buildings (NDC)

This design guide discusses and demonstrates methodologies for the seismic evaluation and strengthening of existing non-ductile concrete buildings. While aspects of this guide focus on the mandatory City of Los Angeles earthquake hazard reduction ordinance and historical construction practices of the Southern California region, it is generally applicable to any other existing concrete buildings in areas of moderate or high seismicity. In this guide you will find a collection of practical advice, guidance on implementing current evaluation and retrofit methodologies, summaries of relevant and useful reference materials, and detailed examples. Additional insights are given based on the latest available research and next-generation standards development work. Extensive commentary is provided and various approaches are presented to address this challenging subject.

The publication of this design guide coincides with the end of the triennial code cycle, and was written for use with the 2017 City of Los Angeles Building Code based on the 2015 International Building Code and ASCE 41-13. This guide is an excellent resource for practicing professional engineers, architects, building officials, academics, and students evaluating this type of structure.