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Chapter 16 — REFERENCED STANDARDS

Section A110

California Existing Building Code (Title 24, Part 10) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

GENERAL PROCEDURE

[BS] A110.1 Minimum design lateral forces. Buildings shall be analyzed to resist minimum lateral forces assumed to act nonconcurrently in the direction of each of the main axes of the structure in accordance with the following:

0.75 SDSW V = -----------------------R

(Equation A1-5)

Exceptions:

  1. Unreinforced masonry walls for which heighttothickness ratios do not exceed ratios set forth in Table A110.2 need not be analyzed for out-of-plane loading. Unreinforced masonry walls that exceed the allowable h/t ratios of Table A110.2 shall be braced according to Section A113.5.
  2. Parapets complying with Section A113.6 need not be analyzed for out-of-plane loading.
  3. Where walls are to be anchored to flexible floor and roof diaphragms, the anchorage shall be in accordance with Section A113.1.

[BS] A110.2 Seismic forces on elements of structures. Parts and portions of a structure not covered in Section A110.3 shall be analyzed and designed per the current building code, using force levels defined in Section A110.1.

APPENDIX A-10 2022 CALIFORNIA EXISTING BUILDING CODE

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution is a violation of the federal copyright act and the license agreement, and subject to civil and criminal penalties thereunder.

APPENDIX A—GUIDELINES FOR THE SEISMIC RETROFIT OF EXISTING BUILDINGS

[BS] TABLE A110.2 ALLOWABLE VALUE OF HEIGHT-TO-THICKNESS RATIO OF UNREINFORCED MASONRY WALLS

WALL TYPES 0.13 ≤ S < 0.25
g D1 g
0.25 ≤ S < 0.4
g D1 g
S ≥ 0.4 BUILDINGS WITH
D1 g
CROSSWALLSa
S ≥ 0.4 ALL OTHER
D1 g
BUILDINGS
Walls of one-story buildings 20 16 16b, c 13
First-story wall of multiple-story building 20 18 16 15
Walls in top story of multiple-story building 14 14 14b, c 9
All other walls 20 16 16 13

For SI:1 pound per square inch = 6894.75 N/m 2 . a. Applies to the special procedures of Section A111 only. See Section A111.7 for other restrictions. b. This value of height-to-thickness ratio shall be used where mortar shear tests establish a tested mortar shear strength, vt, of not less than 100 pounds per square

inch. This value shall also be used where the tested mortar shear strength is not less than 60 pounds per square inch, and where a visual examination of the collar joint indicates not less than 50-percent mortar coverage. c. Where a visual examination of the collar joint indicates not less than 50-percent mortar coverage, and the tested mortar shear strength, vt, is greater than 30

pounds per square inch but less than 60 pounds per square inch, the allowable height-to-thickness ratio may be determined by linear interpolation between the larger and smaller ratios in direct proportion to the tested mortar shear strength.

[BS] A110.3 In-plane loading of URM shear walls and frames. Vertical seismic force-resisting elements shall be analyzed in accordance with Section A112.

[BS] A110.4 Redundancy and overstrength factors. Any redundancy or overstrength factors contained in the building code may be taken as unity. The vertical component of seismic force ( Ev ) may be taken as zero.

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