Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1192126
January/February/March 2020 I 65 This past summer, two major earthquakes (6.4 and 7.1 magnitude) hit California within 24 hours. Severe earth- quakes with a magnitude of 8 and higher occur about once a year. It is much easier to prepare for the next earthquake than to predict when it will happen. Seismic areas require specific building codes and installation guidelines to ensure, primarily, the safety of people but also the protection of expensive equip- ment. This is especially important in healthcare TRs, which cannot afford to be offline or backed up at a secondary location. Furthermore, structures designed according to the International Building Code (IBC) are expected to have a very low to no likelihood of collapsing during a seismic event. The IBC also incorporates the ASCE 7, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, as devel- oped by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which provides guidelines and specific calculations to prevent nonstructural components from sliding or over- turning in the event of an earthquake. The state of California has its own set of codes, the California Building Code (CBC), which substantially incorporates IBC's criteria and requirements but includes a few adjustments to accommodate the state's laws. For instance, the CBC requires that a licensed structural engineer design the components, supports, and attach- ments for nonstructural building components, such as equipment racks. This means an engineer defines the exact installation hardware, placement and materials that attach the rack to the floor and, if necessary, how it will be braced overhead. The design must also include a calculation to determine the seismic load of the rack. With this design, any rack can be used in a seismic area. However, the penalty may be a greatly reduced equipment load if a designer does not select a rack specifically designed for seismic applications. Racks that are specifically designed for seismic applications are more expensive than nonseismic racks, but they generally have higher load ratings and can be filled with equipment. With nonseismic racks, multiple racks are needed to hold the same amount of equipment. Racks specifically designed for seismic applications have heavily braced frames to resist side-to-side, front- back and up-down motion. Reputable manufacturers load test these racks on a shaker test table that simulates a seismic event to demonstrate rack performance in order to verify their load claim. Mission-Critical TRs Mission-critical facilities, such as hospitals and fire and police stations, are required to continue operation even after an earthquake. In California, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) has permit- ting authority for hospitals and healthcare facilities. CBC requires all critical facilities to meet the most stringent seismic design requirements in code, regardless of site location. To speed permitting, the OSHPD preapproval of manufacturer's certification (OPM) allows manufacturers to precertify an OSHPD-compliant anchorage design. OPM can be used by contractors to eliminate the expense of retaining an engineer to design rack anchorage. Most importantly, OPM defines an anchorage that meets the maximum requirement in code. Therefore, an OPM anchorage should be sufficient in any seismic zone. If a seismic rack is needed for a healthcare facility or tenant, consider using OSHPD's OPM to shortlist a few racks of interest. Then, compare the details to find the highest seismic load. For permitting approvals outside of California, a local engineer typically makes the recommendation. Mounting Considerations Installers and contractors must also address the way nonstructural components are anchored and braced The TR must be planned to support a 50 percent growth factor of systems and services.