This page provides an outline of all of the publications produced by SAC in the course of the FEMA Program to Reduce the Earthquake Hazards in Steel Moment Frame Structures. The five major categories of publications are:
- Interim Guidelines
- Technical Reports
- Connection Test Summaries
- Background Reports
- Background Documents
Interim Guidelines / FEMA 267
A primary objective of this project is to efficiently communicate recommended changes to current design practice in addition to the results of the technical investigations that lead to these changes. The primary product of the Phase 1 project was the Interim Guidelines (SAC 95-02 / FEMA 267). This document is intended to give designers guidance in evaluating existing structures and designing new steel buildings. It is available free of charge from FEMA by calling 800-480-2520 and requesting document FEMA 267.NOTE: A supplement to the original Interim Guidelines
is now being published by FEMA. "Interim Guidelines Advisory No. 1 - Supplement
to FEMA 267" (document number FEMA 267-A) will be distributed automatically
to all those who received the original document. In addition, an electronic
version will be incorporated into the electronic documents on this site
by the end of February 1997.
Technical Reports
A number of other publications have been produced in the Phase 1 project, detailing the results of the problem-oriented technical investigations. These have been published either individually or grouped by topic in a series of technical reports. The report titles are given below, along with links to abstracts. A downloadable order form (26 Kb) is also available.- SAC 94-01 Invitational Workshop on Steel Seismic Issues, Los Angeles, September 8-9, 1994.
- SAC 95-01 Steel Moment Frame Connection - Advisory No. 3.
- SAC 95-03 Characterization of Ground Motions During the Northridge Earthquake of January 17, 1994.
- SAC 95-04 Analytical and Field Investigations of Buildings Affected by the Northridge Earthquake of January 17, 1994.
- SAC 95-05 Parametric Analytical Investigations of Ground Motion and Structural Response, Northridge Earthquake of January 17, 1994.
- SAC 95-06 Surveys and Assessment of Damage to Buildings Affected by the Northridge Earthquake of January 17, 1994.
- SAC 95-07 Technical Report: Case Studies of Steel Moment Frame Building Performance in the Northridge Earthquake of January 17, 1994.
- SAC 95-08 Technical Report: Experimental Investigations of Materials, Weldments and Nondestructive Examination Techniques. (Executive Summary in preparation)
- SAC 96-01 Technical Report: Experimental Investigations of Beam-Column Subassemblages. (Executive Summary in preparation)
Background Reports
A volume entitled "Background Reports on Metallurgy, Fracture Mechanics, Welding, Moment Connections and Frame Systems Behavior" was published at the conclusion of the Phase 1 Steel Project to provide a summary of current thinking in the various technical disciplines related to the performance of steel moment frame structures. This document has now been published by FEMA as document number FEMA 288 and is available free of charge by calling 800-480-2520. In the Phase 2 Steel Project a similar series of reports will be prepared summarizing the State-of-the-Art in the areas of- Materials and Fracture
- Joining and Inspection
- Connection Performance
- System Performance
- Performance Prediction and Evaluation
- Behavior of Steel Buildings in Past Earthquakes
Connection Test Summaries
The final major product of Phase 1 of the Steel Project is a series of experimental summaries intended to concisely present the results of full-size beam column test programs. The observed behavior of each specimen tested has been put into a consistent four-page format which includes the specimen dimensions and material properties, the test configuration and loading history, and plots of both force-displacement and moment-rotation behavior. Photos of the specimen at key points during the test are also included. These are being made available as downloadable Adobe Acrobat files, and are also being distributed for inclusion in a three-ring binder which can be updated as more test results become available in Phase 2(For information on using Acrobat, please go to the Acrobat
Home Page 
.)
At this time the first volume of Connection Test Summaries is being transmitted to FEMA for publication. Electronic versions are also being prepared for inclusion on this site. Note that because these files incorporate graphics they can be very large and will likely take some time to download over a slow connection. A good approximation is approximately 1 second for every 10 Kb on a 14.4K modem. An example summary is provided here (without figures) prior to the publication of the complete series:
- Connection Test Summary 10 (47 Kb) - Large-scale pre-Northridge connection, tested at the University of California at Berkeley.
Background Documents
In the Phase 2 Steel Project a series of unreviewed compilations of information will be produced in the form of "Background Reports". These documents will generally be of interest only to project participants, but in some cases the information contained in these reports will be appropriate for distribution to a wider audience. In such cases, copies will be made available upon request at the price of distribution. More information on the Background Report series will be added here soon.- SAC/BD-98/03 Implementation Issues for improved Seismic Design Criteria: Report on the Social, Economic, Policy and Political Issues Workshop, L. Thomas Tobin
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