Seismic design is in increasing demand. Recent events and changes to design standards requires that new construction projects need to be more comprehensive in terms of their safety and structural integrity to be suitably prepared for the rigours of geological movement and other environmental hazards.

It is a common misconception that earthquakes do not affect someareas because the continent is situated in the middle of a tectonic plate. However, the reality is that intraplate earthquakes can – and do.

The construction industry has been profiting from a boom period for over a year. Data suggests that this period of expansion will continue into the foreseeable future as growth in the housing and apartment sectors is met with consistent strength in the engineering and commercial space.

The pool has been an integral part of leisure culture for decades. Its role at the centre of the lifestyle.

With an increasing number of stakeholders and specialists necessary to complete a project, extra time and higher levels of skill are often needed. Labour costs have always represented a significant portion of a project’s budget, and US construction costs are on the rise, with the costs of construction in New York now reportedly being highest in the world.

The design and construction of the built environment has, and always will, involve considerations of speed, cost and quality. This applies across all stages and scales of a project, although the weighting of each of these three factors will often vary across individual builds. In best-case scenarios, each will be considered equally. However, across many projects, there is still the constant pressure to construct projects faster and for less, whilst still maintaining the same desired level of quality.

Our cities are getting more populated and with this comes pressure for land space. And when the land isn’t available, the solution comes from vertical space – taller buildings. Our building code requires consideration of all potential loading scenarios including, but not limited to, wind and seismic.

Does Your Project Need To Be Accessed For Seismic Design?
Short answer is yes. All buildings and their parts need an assessment of their seismic requirements, in accordance with the National Construction Code (NCC). However, it is their ‘Level of Importance (LOI)’ which determines the extent of the seismic design requirements.