National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program

2009 NEHRP Recommended Provisions

The NEHRP Recommended Provisions have been the primary source of seismic design requirements for U.S. model building codes and design standards since the early 1990s.

The Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) has completed the 2009 edition of the NEHRP Provisions for FEMA. The hard copy (FEMA P-750) and a companion CD (FEMA P-750CD) are being printed by FEMA. The electronic files along with the design maps are are now available online from BSSC 2009 Publications.

The 2009 edition is significantly different from earlier versions in that ASCE 7-05 and the standards cited therein have been adopted by reference and that material will no longer be contained in the Provisions. The 2009 Provisions feature several parts:

• The introductory part summarizes basic seismic design concepts for less technical audiences.
• Part 1 identifies additions and exceptions to ASCE 7-05, which represent the BSSC Provisions Update Committee's modifications and clarifications of the seismic requirements in the standard.
• Part 2 provides an up-to-date, user friendly commentary on how to design using the reference standard(s) with the Provisions' exceptions.
• Part 3 comprises a series of white papers presenting state-of-the-art information and procedures intended to generate feedback and stimulate preliminary consideration for future integration into the model building codes and standards.

The 2003 Provisions (FEMA 450) and its complimentary materials (FEMA 451 and FEMA 451B) are available online and can be ordered, free of charge. Visit FEMA Earthquake Publications and Resources for more information.

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