ASCE 40264

Many different codes and standards are used in the structural and seismic design and assessment of petrochemical facilities. Many of these codes have been developed primarily for use in the design of buildings, and generally offer insufficiently detailed guidelines for complete design and evaluation of structures commonly found in petrochemical facilities. The engineer is often forced to rely on broad subjective interpretation of the intent of these codes to develop detailed design criteria and procedures as they apply to items found in petrochemical facilities.

Many petrochemical operating companies with facilities in seismic regions, as well as 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 first publication of these Guidelines, there were no widely accepted standards for the seismic evaluation of existing facilities. As the public and regulators become more aware of environmental and safety issues associated with such facilities, regulators, owners, and engineers have an ever-increasing need for a consistent approach and a technically sound, practical basis for performing evaluations.