DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS

National Building Code Development Office (NBCDO)

Engr. Agustin S. Torres CE mpm / NBCDO- DPWH

Roles and Responsibilities

OFFICE OF THE BUILDING OFFICIAL
Office of the Building Official

 Shall be the implementer of the Guidelines and Implementing Rules for

Earthquake Recording Instrumentation for Buildings

To All Building Officials/City and Municipal

Engineers and others concerned.

As per NBCDO Memorandum Circular N0. 1

March 12, 2015
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 1. Identify all buildings falling under TABLE 1 of the IRR.

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 2. INFORM the buildings owners ( structures identified under Table 1)

about the strict implementation of the IRR and furnish the building
owners with a copy of the IRR. (see attached letter sample)

 Make sure those buildings which installed Accelerographs prior to

release of IRR must have installed compliant Accelerographs.
 If Accelerographs installed were non-compliant, they must re-install
compliant machines.
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 3. Inform LGU to comply with the installation of Accelerograph

System in their city halls.
 4. Better to gather building owners for information drive regarding
the IRR. Gather in order of priority:
-buildings applying for building and occupancy permits
-commercial buildings more than 50 meters in height, like hotels,
office buildings, hospitals, universities/schools
-commercial buildings less than 50 meters in height like office
buildings, malls, manufacturing plants, powerplants, ports, coliseums,
etc
-residential condominiums, other government buildings
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 5. Write to Building Owners regarding the additional requisite information of

buildings to be instrumented. These items must be present at the OBO for
quick reference when inputting the design calculations/computations of
buildings in the Accelerographs, which will become the guide for
triggering the INTERNAL ALARM of the Accelerographs (Sec IV, No. 3 IRR).
 a. Blueprint of the as-built plans of the buildings
 b. Structural design calculations/computations
 c. Dynamic analysis (mode shapes and frequencies), as used in the design
calculations, if available, forced vibration test results
 d. Comprehensive subsurface soil exploration and investigation report.
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 6. Reminder for the LOCATION of the Instrument:

location shall be accessible by qualified technical
personnel and is unobstructed by room contents.

 :a sign stating “MAINTAIN CLEAR ACCESS TO THIS

INSTRUMENT” shall be posted in a conspicuous location.
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 7. Immediately after the occurrence of Intensity 6 earthquake or greater

OBO shall require building owner to retrieve the data and have data interpreted by certified
civil/structural engineer.

Data and interpretation shall be submitted by the owner to DPWH for storage.
Post-earthquake safety evaluation for the buildings and emergency response
demands coursed thru the concerned Building Official
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Only FOR COMPLIANT

. ACCELEROGRAPHS:

8. Issuance of CERTIFICATE OF INSTALLATION OF

EARTHQUAKE RECORDING INSTRUMENTATION

POSTED in a conspicuous place, properly

protected/secured in the ground floor lobby
of the building as well as the site of each
instrument.

Actual Sample
issued by City of
Manila, OBO
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9. Each component of the seismic

monitoring system must be tested
individually and as a complete system
for proper functioning of all operational
features.
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Actual Example-
Certified By:
Japan Meteorological
Agency (JMA)

 10. ONLY test equipment

from company with
INTERNATIONAL TESTING
CERTIFICATION shall be
allowed to make the
testing.
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 11. ONLY calibrated results shall be subjected to

commissioning and acceptance, and shall qualify
towards issuance of necessary permits by the Office of
the Building Official.

 12. Calibrated Test Results must be signed by respective

suppliers and shall be submitted to the Building
Official requirement for the certification of installation
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 13. Building Owner, Building Official, and Supplier shall

inspect, test and commission the seismic monitoring
system together to ensure that the systems are in proper
operational condition and comply with the requirement
of the guidelines.
 14. In the event of a fault of the machine, the building
owner shall call the supplier and report the fault to the
Building Official  reason why the Accelerograph must
have a FAULT DETECTION SYSTEM.
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 15. SERVICE PERIOD  MAXIMUM service interval is one year

 16. CALIBRATION TESTING PERIOD  should be made on a per year basis

 Reminder : After one year of installation of the seismic machine, the

succeeding yearly annual inspection must include the proof of SERVICE
PERIOD and CALIBRATION TESTING PERIOD of the seismic monitoring
system.

 17. when equipment’s supplier finds that the instrument must be removed
from the building for repair, there must be a service unit as a temporary
replacement to continue the collection of data.
Thank you very much for your undivided attention