BS EN 1998-1:2004+A1:2013

1.1.1 Scope of EN 1998

(1)P EN 1998 applies to the design and construction of buildings and civil engineering works in seismic regions. Its purpose is to ensure that in the event of earthquakes:

• human lives are protected;

• damage is limited; and

• structures important for civil protection remain operational.

  NOTE The random nature of the seismic events and the limited resources available to counter their effects are such as to make the attainment of these goals only partially possible and only measurable in probabilistic terms. The extent of the protection that can be provided to different categories of buildings, which is only measurable in probabilistic terms, is a matter of optimal allocation of resources and is therefore expected to vary from country to country, depending on the relative importance of the seismic risk with respect to risks of other origin and on the global economic resources.

(2)P Special structures, such as nuclear power plants, offshore structures and large dams, are beyond the scope of EN 1998.

(3)P EN 1998 contains only those provisions that, in addition to the provisions of the other relevant Eurocodes, must be observed for the design of structures in seismic regions. It complements in this respect the other Eurocodes.

(4)EN 1998 is subdivided into various separate Parts (see 1.1.2 and 1.1.3).

1.1.2 Scope of EN 1998-1

(1)EN 1998-1 applies to the design of buildings and civil engineering works in seismic regions. It is subdivided in 10 Sections, some of which are specifically devoted to the design of buildings.

(2)Section 2 of EN 1998-1 contains the basic performance requirements and compliance criteria applicable to buildings and civil engineering works in seismic regions.

(3)Section 3 of EN 1998-1 gives the rules for the representation of seismic actions and for their combination with other actions. Certain types of structures, dealt with in EN 1998-2 to EN 1998-6, need complementing rules which are given in those Parts.

(4)Section 4 of EN 1998-1 contains general design rules relevant specifically to buildings.

(5)Sections 5 to 9 of EN 1998-1 contain specific rules for various structural materials and elements, relevant specifically to buildings as follows:

• Section 5: Specific rules for concrete buildings;

• Section 6: Specific rules for steel buildings;

• Section 7: Specific rules for composite steel-concrete buildings;

• Section 8: Specific rules for timber buildings;

• Section 9: Specific rules for masonry buildings.

(6)Section 10 contains the fundamental requirements and other relevant aspects of design and safety related to base isolation of structures and specifically to base isolation of buildings.

NOTE Specific rules for isolation of bridges are developed in EN 1998-2.

(7)Annex C contains additional elements related to the design of slab reinforcement in steel-concrete composite beams at beam-column joints of moment frames.

NOTE Informative Annex A and informative Annex B contain additional elements related to the elastic displacement response spectrum and to target displacement for pushover analysis.