Project '17: a Collaboration of Earthquake Engineers and Scientists To Develop Next-Generation Ground Motion Maps for Building Codes

Abstract eng:
During the period January to September 2015, a joint committee of United States Geological Survey (USGS) representatives and Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) volunteers and staff conducted planning for Project ‘17. Project ‘17 is envisioned as a joint USGS-BSSC effort intended to facilitate the coordination of practicing engineers and USGS scientists engaged in formulating the rules by which next-generation seismic design value maps will be developed. These seismic design value maps are different from the hazard maps produced by USGS in that they modify the hazard to values deemed appropriate as a basis for structural design. The Project ‘17 effort must be completed in sufficient time to facilitate balloting and inclusion of the new maps in the 2020 NEHRP Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulations of New Buildings and Other Structures. The Project ’17 Planning Committee conducted two meetings and several teleconferences, and conducted public outreach. During the course of its initial meeting, the Committee identified a series of 13 issues that could be considered in the Project ‘17 effort. These ranged from procedural issues associated with the timing of map production, and means of delivery of mapped seismic design values, to technical issues associated with the underlying risk basis for the maps and detailed issues of seismic hazard calculation. Following development of these issues, the Committee prepared a series of written issue summaries, which it then presented in a series of 3 webinars to interested and invited members of the public including practicing engineers, state and local geologists, regulators and academics. Interested participants were invited to provide oral and written comment and were also asked to participate in a poll to rank the importance of the issues. Following receipt of public comment, the Committee met a final time to review the information received and develop a consolidated set of recommendations for the conduct of Project ‘17. The Committee recommended an effort of approximately 30-month duration, during which the USGS will develop draft maps based on the rules proposed for addressing the key issues, with time allowed for evaluation and refinement of the proposed rules. The committee is comprised of a main committee and four task committees tasked with evaluating each of the key issues identified in the planning effort: (i) Balancing uncertainty and precision in the maps; (ii) definition of acceptable risk; (iii) development of multi-period spectral parameter values and spectra; and (iv) definition of procedures for computing deterministic maps. The main committee and each of the task committees plan to meet once per quarter throughout the duration of the project to resolve these issues and develop their recommendations for the technical basis and procedures to be followed in preparing next-generation seismic design value maps for inclusion in the NEHRP Provisions. This paper for the 16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering summarizes the key issues identified.

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