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2000 International Building Code - Structural Design


Course Outline

The International Building Code has been adopted by 47 states and the District of Columbia as of April 2006. This course highlights the structural provisions contained in Chapter 16 of the IBC 2000, and is designed to help structural engineers get familiar with the latest building code requirements. The course materials are based on the IBC 2000: Chapter 16 - Structural Design (88 pages, you must have a copy of the IBC 2000 for this course). Detailed sample wind and seismic load calculations for a two-story building per the IBC 2000 are presented, which include both simplified seismic load analysis procedure and the equivalent lateral force procedure for comparison purpose. Useful tips are also provided within the sample calculations. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Course Introduction

The International Code Council (ICC) was founded in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes. The founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI).

The first draft of the International Building Code was prepared in 1997. The first edition of the International Building Code (IBC 2000) was officially published in March 2000, following several public hearings in 1998 and 1999 and a public comment forum in 1997. As of April 2006, forty-seven states and the District of Columbia have adopted the IBC.

Course Content

As practicing engineers, we welcome the efforts of the existing code organizations to produce a single set of codes. The purpose of this course is to help engineers and architects get familiar with the structural design provisions in the IBC 2000. In this course, you are required to study Sections 1601 through 1621 of the International Building Code 2000 (88 pages). If you or your office do not have this publication, you may order a copy from the Online Store of ICBO.

The live loads, wind loads and snow loads in the IBC 2000 are primarily based on the 1998 ASCE-7. To assist practicing engineers in wind load calculations, the IBC 2000 contains a simplified wind design provision and tabulated wind pressures for low-rise buildings (Section 1609.6). For seismic load analysis, the IBC 2000 also provides a simplified structural analysis technique for light-framed buildings not exceeding three stories in height (Section 1617.5).

Once you purchase this course, you can download a PDF file within the quiz section of the course, which contains ten pages of detailed sample wind and seismic load calculations for a two-story building per the IBC 2000. Both simplified seismic load analysis procedure and the equivalent lateral force procedure are performed for this building for comparison purpose. Useful tips are also provided within the sample calculations. You are required to study the sample calculations for better understanding of the building code provisions.

The following contains the outline of Chapter 16 of the IBC 2000:

Chapter 16 - Structural Design

Table of Contents

Section 1601 - General
Section 1602 - Definitions
Section 1603 - Construction Documents
Section 1604 - General Design Requirements
Section 1605 - Load Combinations
Section 1606 - Dead Loads
Section 1607 - Live Loads
Section 1608 - Snow Loads
Section 1609 - Wind Loads
Section 1610 - Soil Lateral Load

Section 1611 - Rain Loads
Section 1612 - Flood Loads
Section 1613 - Earthquake Loads Definitions
Section 1614 - Earthquake Loads - General
Section 1615 - Earthquake Loads - Site Ground Motion
Section 1616 - Earthquake Loads - Criteria Selection
Section 1617 - Earthquake Loads - Minimum Design Lateral Force and Related Effects
Section 1618 - Dynamic Analysis Procedure for the Seismic Design of Buildings
Section 1619 - Earthquake Loads - Soil-Structure Interaction Effects
Section 1620 - Earthquake Loads - Design, Detailing Requirements and Structural Component Load Effects
Section 1621 - Architectural, Mechanical, Electrical Components Seismic Design Requirements

Section 1622 - Nonbuilding Structures Seismic Design (not included in this course)
Section 1623 - Seismically Isolated Structures (not included in this course)

Course Summary

To protect the safety and welfare of the public, all structural engineers must get familiar with the latest building code requirements. This course and its quiz questions highlight the important structural provisions in the IBC 2000.

Related Links

FBC(Florida Building Code) SBC Significant Difference Rationale CHAPTER 16 STRUCTURAL LOADS
American Lifelines Alliance - Design Guidelines Matrix for Various Lifeline Structures(a PDF file)

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

Take a Quiz


DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDHonline.org or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered professional engineer. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.