Home Builders Guide to Earthquake Resistant Building Design II

This PDH online course is a part of the Civil course category. This course provides guidance on best practices for earthquake-resistant house design and construction for use by builders, designers, code enforcement personnel, and potential homeowners. It also introduces and explains the effects of earthquake loads on one- and two-family detached houses and identifies the code requirements intended to resist these loads.

Because the building code requirements are minimums, a house and its contents still may be damaged in an earthquake even if it was designed and built to comply with the code. Research has shown, however, that earthquake damage to a house can be reduced for a relatively small increase in construction cost. This guide identifies above-code techniques for improving earthquake performance and presents an estimate of their cost.

This course is intended for use by civil engineers, structural engineers, project managers, construction professionals and others interested in learning about earthquake resistant building design.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will learn about:

• Seismic requirements and design for wood light framed, cold form, masonry and ICF wall houses
• Seismic requirements and design of roof framing systems including:
  • Blocking and lateral load paths
  • Connection of joists and rafters to walls below
  • Roof sheating
  • Lateral capacity of wood framed roofs
• Seismic requirements and design for chimneys, fireplaces, balconies and decks
• Additions, alterations and seismic upgrades to existing houses