1997 UPDATE EFFORT

In September 1994, NIBS entered into a contract with FEMA for initiation of the 39-month BSSC 1997 Provisions update effort. Late in 1994, the BSSC member organization representatives and alternate representatives and the BSSC Board of Direction were asked to identify individuals to serve on the 1997 PUC and its TSs. The 1997 PUC was constituted early in 1995, and 12 PUC Technical Subcommittees were established to address design criteria and analysis, foundations and geotechnical considerations, cast-in-place/precast concrete structures, masonry structures, steel structures, wood structures, mechanical-electrical systems and building equipment and architectural elements, quality assurance, interface with codes and standards, composite steel and concrete structures, energy dissipation and base isolation, and nonbuilding structures.

As part of this effort, the BSSC developed for the 1997 Provisions a revised seismic design procedure. Unlike the design procedure based on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) peak acceleration and peak velocity-related acceleration ground motion maps developed in the 1970s and used in earlier editions of the Provisions, the new design procedure involves new design maps based on recently revised USGS spectral response maps and a process specified within the body of the Provisions. This task was conducted with the cooperation of the USGS (under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the BSSC and USGS) by the Seismic Design Procedure Group (SDPG) working with the guidance of a five-member Management Committee.

More than 200 individuals participated in the 1997 update effort, and more than 165 substantive proposals for change were developed. A series of editorial/organizational changes also were made. All draft TS, SDPG, and PUC proposals for change were finalized in late February 1997, and in early March, the PUC Chair presented to the BSSC Board of Direction the PUC's recommendations concerning proposals for change to be submitted to the BSSC member organizations for balloting. The Board accepted these recommendations, and the first round of balloting was conducted in April-June 1997.

Of the 158 items on the first ballot, only 8 did not pass; however, many comments were submitted with "no" and "yes with reservations" votes. These comments were compiled for distribution to the PUC, which met in mid-July to review the comments, receive TS responses to the comments and recommendations for change, and formulate its recommendations concerning what items should be submitted to the BSSC member organizations for a second ballot. The PUC deliberations resulted in the decision to recommend to the BSSC Board that 28 items be included in the second ballot. The PUC Chair subsequently presented the PUC's recommendations to the Board, which accepted those recommendations.

The second round of balloting was completed in October. All but one proposal passed; however, a number of comments on virtually all the proposals were submitted with the ballots and were immediately compiled for consideration by the PUC. The PUC Executive Committee met in December to formulate its recommendations to the Board, and the Board subsequently accepted those recommendations.

The PUC concluded its update work by identifying issues in need of consideration during the next update cycle and technical issues in need of study. The final version of the 1997 Provisions, including an appendix describing the differences between the 1994 and 1997 edition, was transmitted to FEMA in February 1998. The contract for the 1997 update effort has been extended by FEMA to September 30, 1998, to permit development of a CD-ROM for presentation of the design map data.

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