CHAPTER 1

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Introduction

1.1 OBJECTIVE

Many codes and standards are used in the structural and seismic design and
assessment of petrochemical facilities. Many of these codes were developed
primarily for use in designing buildings and generally offer insufficiently detailed
guidelines for complete design and evaluation of structures commonly found in
petrochemical and other industrial facilities. As a result, the engineer is often
forced to rely on broad subjective interpretation of these codes’ intent to develop
detailed design criteria and procedures that apply to items found in petrochemical
facilities. Many petrochemical operating companies with facilities in seismic
regions, and engineering offices that serve the petrochemical industry, have
developed their own internal standards and guidelines for addressing these unique
seismic design and evaluation issues. Consequently, these facilities may be
designed and built with inconsistent degrees of conservatism and design margins.
Until the publication of the first edition of this book, no widely accepted
standards for the seismic evaluation of existing facilities existed. As the public and
regulators become more aware of environmental and safety issues associated with
such facilities, the need for regulators, owners, and engineers to have a consistent
approach and a technically sound, practical basis for performing evaluations
grows continually.
Recognizing the need for design and evaluation guidelines in several technical
areas specifically applicable to petrochemical facilities, ASCE’s Energy Division set
up the Petrochemical Energy Committee to fill the existing gap by establishing
criteria and guidance for practical application. The Task Committee on Seismic
Evaluation and Design of Petrochemical Facilities of the Petrochemical Energy
Committee was charged with development of the original document, which was
first published in 1997. The original document was based on the seismic
requirements of the 1994 Uniform Building Code (UBC 1994). Historically, the
UBC had used the Structural Engineers Association of California’s “Recom-
mended Lateral Force Requirements and Commentary” (SEAOC 1999), also
known as the “Blue Book,” as the basis for its seismic provisions. The second
edition of this book was developed by a reconstituted Seismic Task Committee and
was based on the 2006 International Building Code (IBC 2006), which adopted, by

Seismic Evaluation and Design of Petrochemical and Other Industrial Facilities

 2 SEISMIC EVALUATION AND DESIGN OF PETROCHEMICAL

reference, the seismic provisions of ASCE 7-05 Minimum Design Loads and
Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, including Supplement 2
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(ASCE 2005). This third edition was revised by another reconstituted Seismic Task
Committee and is based on the 2018 International Building Code (IBC 2018),
which adopts, by reference, the seismic provisions of ASCE Standard 7-16 (ASCE
2016). Whereas the 2018 IBC does not reference Supplement 1 to ASCE 7-16, the
corrected site coefficients in Supplement 1 are critical for the proper seismic design
of structures; thus, this book refers to Supplement 1.
This document has been developed to provide practical guidance to engineers
involved in the seismic design and evaluation of petrochemical and other
industrial facilities. It aims to serve several objectives:
(a) To help practicing engineers better understand the intent of certain
provisions of seismic design codes, enabling them to apply the codes and
provisions more properly and uniformly to structures and systems typically
found in petrochemical and other industrial facilities;
(b) To provide guidance for seismic engineering practice beyond that covered
in the building codes;
(c) To provide background information on technical areas that are related to
the seismic evaluation of petrochemical and other industrial facilities, but
that civil engineers do not always understand well;
(d) To provide guidance specific to the seismic evaluation of existing petro-
chemical and other industrial facilities;
(e) To provide practical analytical guidance specifically applicable to petro-
chemical and other industrial facilities; and
(f) To alert engineers and operations personnel to areas other than structural
where earthquakes might affect the safety of petrochemical and other
industrial facilities, such as contingency planning, post-earthquake damage
inspection, and operational issues.
This book addresses seismic design and related construction of new structures
and components as well as evaluation and retrofit design of existing structures and
systems in petrochemical facilities. The scope generally emphasizes work that is
commonly under the direction of an engineer.
Despite the attempt to make this a comprehensive document, the authors
recognize that some applicable topics will not be fully covered.
Certain types of petrochemical facilities must adhere to specific government
requirements. For example, liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals in the United
States are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC
generally requires conformance to specific documents such as NFPA 59A (NFPA
2001, 2016), API 620 (API 2014), and ASCE 7 for seismic design. Much of the
guidance in this book, such as the discussion on site-specific ground motion in
Chapter 3, is directly applicable, although FERC may impose additional
requirements.

Seismic Evaluation and Design of Petrochemical and Other Industrial Facilities

 INTRODUCTION 3

Note that this book is not intended to replace the IBC and ASCE 7 but is
intended to be used in conjunction with both. In all instances, the engineers
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involved in the design or evaluation process are ultimately responsible for

researching the literature and using their professional judgment to ensure that
applicable safety objectives, criteria, and other performance goals are met.

1.2 RELATED INDUSTRY CODES, STANDARDS, AND

SPECIFICATIONS

Several industry codes, standards, and specifications are normally used for the
design of structures and components at petrochemical facilities. Applicable codes,
standards, and specifications may include, but are not limited to the following:
(a) 2018 IBC, International Building Code;
(b) ASCE/SEI 7-16, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for
Buildings and Other Structures, Including Supplement No. 1;
(c) ANSI/AISC 341-16, Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings;
(d) ANSI/AISC 360-16, Specification for Structural Steel Buildings;
(e) ACI 318-2014, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete;
(f) TMS 402-2016, Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures;
(g) TMS 602-2016, Specification for Masonry Structures;
(h) API 650-2014, Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage, 12th Edition,
Addendum 1;
(i) ASME B31.3-2014, Process Piping;
(j) AWC NDS-2018, National Design Standard for Wood Construction; and
(k) AWC SDPWS-2015, Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic.
With respect to code provisions, the guidelines presented in this book often
refer to the 2018 IBC, because the IBC, by reference, is the most widely used design
code in the United States. Whereas the IBC requires the use of ASCE 7 to
determine seismic forces and their distribution in a structure, the load combina-
tions of the 2018 IBC include alternative basic load combinations for allowable
stress design that may prove more favorable to the user for stability sizing of
foundations for industrial equipment. The basic load combinations of both the
IBC and ASCE 7 may produce foundation sizes that are significantly larger than
those historically designed in petrochemical and other industrial facilities.
Note that ongoing efforts in code development and refinement related to the
IBC and other codes may at one time or another make some of the specific
guidance provided in this book obsolete, especially where related to particular
building code provisions. However, the intent and philosophy of much of the
guidance provided herein is expected, for the most part, to remain directly

Seismic Evaluation and Design of Petrochemical and Other Industrial Facilities

 4 SEISMIC EVALUATION AND DESIGN OF PETROCHEMICAL

applicable to petrochemical and other industrial applications. Much of the design

philosophy, analytical techniques, analytical tools, and specific guidance provided
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in this book are appropriate across a wide range of design criteria.

Note also that the guidelines provided herein are not intended to take
precedence over the code of record wherever differences may occur. They are,
however, intended to provide a rational basis for deviating from certain provisions
of standards in establishing specific design requirements for items particular to
petrochemical facilities. Where differences exist between the guidelines of this
book and the code of record, the latter should always prevail, unless a potential
deviation from the standard code of practice is approved by the Authority Having
Jurisdiction.

1.3 ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK

The remainder of the book has been organized into chapters that address specific
seismic-related aspects of petrochemical facility design, evaluation, or operations.
The following paragraphs briefly summarize the contents of each chapter.
Chapter 2 discusses seismic design philosophy and the general intent of
seismic design provisions. Performance requirements are also discussed.
Chapter 3 provides background data related to seismic hazards, such as
ground shaking, fault rupture, and tsunamis, and geotechnical issues, such as
liquefaction. The chapter emphasizes information that will help the engineer
understand the derivation and significance of different definitions of ground
motion that may be encountered on a project.
Chapter 4 addresses analysis and load definition for petrochemical facilities,
providing guidance on interpreting building code provisions for application to the
types of structures commonly found in petrochemical facilities. The appendixes to
Chapter 4 offer practical analytical tools for several necessary tasks in facility
structural design and evaluations, such as calculation of structural periods for
components unique to petrochemical facilities, calculation of sliding displace-
ments, and stability checks.
Chapter 5 provides guidance for the design of new components in petro-
chemical and other industrial facilities. This chapter offers useful guidance from
experienced engineers, emphasizing interpretation of the intent of code provisions
and specific items not found in typical design codes and standards, such as special
design details and configuration controls.
Chapter 6 relates specifically to the evaluation of existing facilities, providing
detailed guidance on methodical “walkdown” screening reviews of structures and
systems.
Chapter 7 covers the evaluation of flat-bottomed steel storage tanks. The
chapter discusses different design codes and presents alternative methodologies
that are particularly useful for the evaluation of existing tanks.

Seismic Evaluation and Design of Petrochemical and Other Industrial Facilities

 INTRODUCTION 5

Chapter 8 addresses earthquake contingency planning for a facility. It does

not give specific guidance on how to author contingency plans; rather, it outlines
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some general points that in-place contingency plans should address.

Chapter 9 provides guidance on post-earthquake damage assessment of
petrochemical facilities.
Chapter 10 provides guidance to the engineer faced with retrofitting seismi-
cally deficient structures in a petrochemical facility.
Chapter 11 discusses topics involved in the seismic design of marine oil
terminals.
Chapter 12 provides guidance in evaluating multiple codes on a project, in
particular as applied to international projects and vendors.

References
ACI (American Concrete Institute). 2014. Building code requirements for structural
concrete. ACI 318. Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
ACI. 2016a. Building code requirements for masonry structures. TMS 402. Farmington Hills,
MI: ACI.
ACI. 2016b. Specifications for masonry structures. TMS 602. Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
AISC. 2016a. Seismic provisions for structural steel buildings. AISC 341. Chicago: AISC.
AISC. 2016b. Specification for structural steel buildings. AISC 360. Chicago: AISC.
API (American Petroleum Institute). 2014a. Design and construction of large, welded, low
pressure storage tanks, 12th ed. Washington, DC: API.
API. 2014b. Welded steel tanks for oil storage, 12th ed. Washington, DC: API.
ASCE. 2005. Minimum design loads for buildings and other structures, including supplement
2. ASCE 7-05. Reston, VA: ASCE.
ASCE. 2010. Minimum design loads for buildings and other structures, including supplement
2. ASCE 7-10. Reston, VA: ASCE.
ASCE. 2016. Minimum design loads and associated criteria for buildings and other
structures. ASCE/SEI 7-16. Reston, VA: ASCE.
ASME. 2014. Process piping. ASME B31.3. New York: ASME.
AWC (American Wood Council). 2015. Special design provisions for wind and seismic.
AWC SDPWS-15. Leesburg, VA: AWC.
AWC. 2018. National design standard for wood construction. AWC NDS-18. Leesburg, VA:
AWC.
IBC (International Building Code). 2006. International building code. Country Club Hills,
IL: IBC.
IBC. 2018. International building code. Country Club Hills, IL: IBC.
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association). 2001. Production, storage, and handling of
liquefied natural gas (LNG). NFPA 59A. Quincy, MA: NFPA.
NFPA. 2016. Production, storage, and handling of liquefied natural gas (LNG). NFPA 59A.
Quincy, MA: NFPA.
SEAOC. 1999. Recommended lateral force requirements and commentary. Sacramento, CA:
SEAOC.
UBC (Uniform building code). 1994. Uniform building code. Whittier, CA: International
Conference of Building Officials.

Seismic Evaluation and Design of Petrochemical and Other Industrial Facilities