Recommendations and Focus Areas for the Improvement of Building Code of Pakistan (BCP-2007 with Seismic Provisions)
NUST institute of Civil Engineering (NICE)
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE)
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
H – 12, Islamabad, Pakistan
Executive Summary
The publication identifies some important focus areas and presents few recommendations for the improvement of Building Code of Pakistan (BCP-2007 with seismic provisions). These recommendations are prepared in the light of several recent studies conducted at NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, in the areas of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment and performance-based seismic design of structures. One of the primary purposes of a building code is to establish the minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare through structural strength and stability against several hazards experienced during the intended design life. Around the world, several national and international building codes reflect the collective wisdom of individuals and organizations associated with industry, academia, practice and governments. These codes are regularly updated to incorporate state-of-the-art research findings and recommendations from constituent committees to prescribe well-structured procedures to ensure public safety and construction of resilient infrastructure. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for Pakistan. A high level of country’s seismic hazard, growing population, rapid urbanization and a large number of existing non-engineered buildings are some of the serious challenges faced by us today. Any negligence from the responsible stakeholders in foreseeing the severity of these challenges will directly affect the long-term objective of achieving earthquake resilience in Pakistan. Therefore, a dire need to improve local construction laws, safety provisions and seismic design practice is obvious. The discussion and recommendations presented in this publication are limited only to the provisions and procedures related to seismic safety of structures. These include the need for an updated seismic hazard assessment of Pakistan, the provisions related to structural modeling, the need for an updated seismic design philosophy and seismic analysis procedures, and the use of advanced cement-based materials in local scenario. The implementation aspects of BCP-2007 and the role of construction bye laws from the local development authorities is not included in this publication. These aspects are also equally important and require a diligent focus by the relevant stakeholders.
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