This report examines the potential impact of two new building codes on masonry and cements for masonry. Until relatively recently, seismic design criteria in building codes depended solely upon the seismic zone in which a structure was located. The level of seismic detailing (including the amount of reinforcement) for masonry structures was then indexed to the Seismic Zone. This practice still continues with the latest edition of the Uniform Building Code (UBC).
The BOCA National Building Code (BOCA/NBC) and the Standard Building Code (SBC), in recent times, have made seismic detailing requirements dependent not only on the seismicity at the site, but also on the occupancy of the structure.
Research reported in this paper (PCA R&D Serial No. 2525) was conducted by S. K. Ghosh Associates, Inc. Northbrook, Illinois with the sponsorship of the Portland Cement Association (PCA Project Index No. SR910).