‫مواصفة لبنانية‬ NL

NORME LIBANAISE 135

LEBANESE STANDARD IDT
Deuxième édition
Second edition
2012

‫ القواعد العامة‬:‫الوقاية من الزالزل‬

Construction parasismique : règles générales

Protection from Earthquakes: General Rules

‫مؤسسة المقاييس والمواصفات اللبنانية‬ Numéro de référence

Reference number
-------- LIBNOR -------- NL 135
2012

ICS: 13.220.50
 NL 135:2012

The Lebanese Standards Institution (LIBNOR) is a public institution attached to the

Ministry of Industry. It was established in 23-7-1962 by a law giving it solely the
right to prepare, publish and amend national standards, as well as to grant the
Lebanese Conformity Mark NL.

Lebanese standards are prepared by technical committees formed by LIBNOR. They

include setting the dimensions, conventions, symbols, and the definition of products
quality, as well as the methods of testing and analysis. They also include the codes of
practice for professional and structural work.

Lebanese standards are voluntary in principle. However, for reasons of public health,
public safety or national interest, a standard can be rendered mandatory by a decree
from the council of ministers.

LIBNOR is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and

the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO), an Affiliate
Member of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), as well as the Codex
Alimentarius Contact Point in Lebanon.

– Copyright - All rights reserved –

Apart from exceptions provided by the law, nothing from this publication may be
duplicated and/or published by means of photocopy, microfilm, storage in computer
files or otherwise, which also applies to full or partial processing, without the written
consent of the Lebanese Standards Institution - LIBNOR.

Lebanese Standards Institution – LIBNOR

City Rama Street, Libnor Bldg,
P.O.BOX. 55120 Sin El Fil, Lebanon
Phone: +961-1-485927- Fax: +961-1-485929
Website : www.libnor.org
E-mail : libnor@libnor.org

LIBNOR Page 2
 NL 135:2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………..6

Part 1: Scope – Applicability …………………………………………………………7

1.1 – New Structures ………………………………………………………….………7
1.2 – Existing Structures subject to « works »………………………………...………7
1.3 – Existing Structures …………………………………………………………...…7

Part 2: Applicable Referenced Documents …………………………………...………8

2.1 – French Referenced Documents ………… ……………………………...………8
2.2 – American Referenced Documents ………………….…………………...………8

Part 3: National Requirements …………………………...……………………..……9

3.1 – Minimum Seismic Protection Level ………………………….................………9
3.2 – Adaptation to French Referenced Documents ………….…………………….…9
3.3 – Adaptation to American Referenced Documents …………………….………...9
3.4 – Guidance rules for the Seismic Design of Structures ……………………….…11
3.5 – Requirements for Existing Structures..…………………….…………………..11

LIBNOR Page 3
 NL 135:2012

Foreword

The Lebanese standards are elaborated according to the internal procedures of

LIBNOR.

The board of directors of LIBNOR approved this standard, on …/…/…… without

modification, as a Lebanese standard, based on the recommendation of LIBNOR
technical committee: “Earthquakes safety” in its meeting held on …/…/2012.

LIBNOR Page 4
 NL 135:2012

Technical committee – Approval Signature

President Signature

Socotec-Lebanon Roland Maarri

Coordinator :

Lebanese Standards Institution - Libnor Jawad Abi Akl

Members:
Ministry of Public works and transports -
General Directorate of Roads and
Buildings
Ministry of Public works and transports –
General Directorate of Urban Planning
National Centre for Scientific Research -
Lebanon
Council for Development &
Reconstruction
Order of Engineers & Architects of
Beirut
Order of Engineers & Architects of
Tripoli
Qualiconsult- Middle-East

Bureau Veritas - Lebanon

Apave-Lebanon

LIBNOR Page 5
 NL 135:2012

INTRODUCTION

The Standard NL135 : 2012 presents the seismic rules for the design of buildings and
civil works structures that complement the general rules related to different types of
construction :concrete, steel, wooden,…

It refers to the seismic hazard level specified in the decree 7964 dated April 7th, 2012
which considers the national territory as one seismic zone. This decree does not define
the earthquake of reference but rather a minimum design seismic level. Therefore, the
present standard will be revised based on the upcoming national scientific advances in
this field.

The Standard NL135: 2012 takes into account the presence in Lebanon of two major
French and American schools in terms of structural seismic engineering. It presents
some flexibility by offering to the designers the possibility either to adopt the French
Norm (PS 92) or the American codes (UBC97 or IBC) while conceiving their
structures.

It is however important to mention that the progress of knowledge in terms of seismic

construction engineering has shown that some of the dispositions of the seismic rules
mentioned above needs to be reviewed on continuous basis in order to bring a
sensitive improvement to the reliability of structures; the Eurocode 8 constitutes, at
this level, the European consecration of this considerable progress in this domain.

Accordingly, the present Standard NL135: 2012 will be induced to adopt in the five
upcoming years the Eurocode 8 as the only and unique seismic code applicable in
Lebanon.

LIBNOR Page 6
 NL 135:2012

Part 1: Scope – Applicability

1.1 – New Structures

The present Standard is applicable to all construction projects including buildings and
civil works in both public and private sectors.

1.2 – Existing Structures subject to « works »

Shall equally satisfy the requirements of the present Standard the rehabilitation of
existing structures (in public and private sectors) that are subject to works of the
following types:

- modifications
- additional levels
- total or partial modification of the type of occupancy
1.3 – Existing Structures

The requirements of the present Standard apply equally to the existing structures
subject to the mandatory technical control as per the Decree 7964 of April 7th, 2012
and notably:

- Power plants
- Electrical substations exceeding 33 Kvolt
- Pumping and water treatment stations
- Water tanks of a capacity >1000m3 and water towers of a capacity >500 m3
- Educational occupancies >700 students (Schools and universities)
- Hospitals and health centres
- Fire stations (civil defence and fire brigades)
- Public buildings and civil works
- Structures including cantilevers > 20m or spans > 40m or underground parts > 15m
depth or deep foundations > 30m or necessitating underpinning works.

LIBNOR Page 7
 NL 135:2012

Part 2: Applicable Referenced Documents

2.1 – French Referenced Documents

The seismic design of buildings and various structures shall be done according to the
following in force French rules and standards:
 Règles PS applicables aux bâtiments - PS92 Normes NF P 06-013
 Guide AFPS 1992.

Are equally applicable all in force French regulations and standards that are related to
the above mentioned rules and standards notably:
- BAEL91 (Modified 99)
- BPEL91 (Modified 99)
- Règles CM66 Steel Structures
- Règles CB 71 Wooden Structures
- Norms related to steel
- Norms related to concrete and aggregates
- Norms related to Hydraulic binders
- DTU concerning concrete works (DTU14.1, 20.1, 21, 23.1, 25.31)
- Structures basis of calculation (NFP06-001, Règles Neige et Vent NV65
modifiées 99 …) or related in force norms issued by LIBNOR (wind
design and snow loads)
- Fascicules du CCTG applicables aux marchés publics de travaux de
bâtiments et de génie civil.
- Mandatory in force Norms issued by LIBNOR : NL49, NL50, NL51,
NL53
- Lebanese Norm NL134 :1998 (Chapters 2 to 6)
- Lebanese in force Norm related to wind design and snow loads

2.2 – American Referenced Documents

The seismic design of buildings and various structures shall be done according to one
of the following two American codes:
 Uniform Building Code UBC 97
 International Building Code IBC 2009 (or the latest edition in force)

Are equally applicable all in force American regulations and standards that are related
to the above mentioned codes notably:
- Building Code Requirements for structural Concrete (ACI318-08 or the
latest edition in force)
- ASTM Standards related to concrete
- ASTM Standards related to steel reinforcement
- AASHTO
- Mandatory in force Norms issued by LIBNOR : NL49, NL50, NL51,
NL53
- Lebanese Norm NL134 :1998 (Chapters 2 to 6)
- Lebanese in force Norm related to wind design and snow loads

LIBNOR Page 8
 NL 135:2012

Part 3: National Requirements

3.1 – Minimum Seismic Protection Level
Lebanon is considered as one seismic zone.
The seismic aggression level to be taken into account in the design and the execution
of buildings and civil works projects of the “normal hazard” category (buildings,
equipments and installations for which the consequences of an earthquake remain
confined to their occupants and their direct neighborhood) is specified by a unique
parameter aN defining the minimum level of peak ground acceleration: the value of aN
is fixed at 0.25g (be it 2.5 m/s2) as per the Decree 7964 of April 7th, 2012.
Each structure shall be assigned a class of hazard according to its Occupancy
Category as per the prescriptions of the applicable “referenced Documents” specified
in Part 2 of the present Standard.
Concerning the buildings and particular structures of the “special hazard” category
(buildings, equipments and installations for which the impact on persons, properties
and environment of damages even minor resulting from an earthquake could not be
contained to the direct neighborhood of these buildings, equipments and installations:
petrochemical plants, nuclear plants,… ),they should satisfy preventive measures
notably seismic rules in terms of construction, fitting out and operation, whose
application is determined by means of ministerial orders or decrees defining the type
and characteristics of the buildings, equipments and installations, the technical
preventive dispositions as well as the level of seismic aggression to be considered for
such type of structures.

3.2 – Adaptation to French/European Referenced Documents

Apply the Seismic Design Rules PS92 & Guide AFPS 1992 considering a minimum
value of the peak ground acceleration (accélération nominale) equal to aN = 2.5 m/s2
corresponding to seismic zone II (zone de sismicité II) and to an occupancy category
of normal hazard (catégorie d’ouvrages dits à risque normal). The above mentioned
value is subject to an increase based on the class of hazard of the structure.

3.3 – Adaptation to American Referenced Documents

3.3.1 Uniform Building Code UBC 97

The seismic zone factor to be adopted is Z =0.25

Apply the following table to define the Seismic Coefficient Ca taking into account
the Seismic Zone Factor Z and the Soil Profile type :

LIBNOR Page 9
 NL 135:2012

TABLE 16-Q – SEISMIC COEFFICIENT Ca

SEISMIC ZONE FACTOR, Z

SOIL PROFILE TYPE Z = 0.25

SA 0.2

SB 0.25

SC 0.29

SD 0.32

SE 0.35

SF See Footnote 1
1
Site-specific geotechnical investigation and dynamic site response analysis shall be performed to determine
seismic coefficients for Soil Profile Type S F.

Apply the following table to define the Seismic Coefficient Cv taking into
account the Seismic Zone Factor Z and the Soil Profile type:
TABLE 16 – R – SEISMIC COEFFICIENT Cv

SEISMIC ZONE FACTOR, Z

SOIL PROFILE TYPE Z = 0.25

SA 0.2

SB 0.25

SC 0.4

SD 0.47

SE 0.74

SF See Footnote 1
1
Site-specific geotechnical investigation and dynamic site response analysis shall be performed to determine
seismic coefficients for Soil Profile Type S F.

As per decree 7964 of April 7th, 2012, the structural design and detailing should
adhere, as minimum, to the requirements of zones of “Moderate seismic Risk”

LIBNOR Page 10
 NL 135:2012

3.3.2 International building Code IBC

Adopt the following spectral response acceleration parameters Ss (short period)

and S1 (1-second period) :

2009 IBC MCE SPECTRAL

COUNTRY RESPONSE ACCELERATION
S S
s 1
LEBANON 1.20 0.40

Apply the following table to determine the Site Coefficient Fa taking into account
the Ss parameter and the Site Class :
TABLE 1613.5.3 (1)
VALUES OF SITE COEFFICIENT Fa

MAPPED SPECTRAL RESPONSE ACCELERATION AT SHORT PERIOD

SITE CLASS SS = 1.20

A 0.8

B 1.0

C 1.0

D 1.0

E 0.9

F Note b
b- Values shall be determined in accordance with Section 11.4.7of ASCE 7.

Apply the following table to determine the Site Coefficient Fv taking into account
the S1 parameter and the Site Class:
TABLE 1613.5.3 (2)
VALUES OF SITE COEFFICIENT FV

MAPPED SPECTRAL RESPONSE ACCELERATION AT 1 SECOND PERIOD

SITE CLASS S1 = 0.40

A 0.8

B 1.0

C 1.4

D 1.6

E 2.4

F Note b
b- Values shall be determined in accordance with Section 11.4.7of ASCE 7.

LIBNOR Page 11
 NL 135:2012

3.4 – Guidance rules for the Seismic Design of Structures

Refer to chapter 2 and 6 of Lebanese Norm NL134:1998.
In case of any contradiction between, some of the technical provisions included in
these chapters and the requirements of the applicable referenced documents
mentioned in Part 2 of the present Standard, these latter shall prevail (e.i: minimum
width of seismic joints between blocks or adjacent structures to be of 6cm instead of
4cm, minimum small dimension of column: 25cm instead of 20cm, etc…)
The provisions of chapters 2 and 6 of the Lebanese Norm NL134:1998 are considered
as helpful guidance general rules for the seismic design of structures; they are either
minimal rules or recommendations; consequently they could not in any way be
substituted to a comprehensive seismic analysis and a justification of the structures as
per the applicable referenced documents mentioned in Part 2 of the present Standard.

3.5 – Requirements for Existing Structures.

The existing structures subject to « works » as well as the Strategic existing structures
referred to respectively in paragraph 1.2 and 1.3 – Part 1 of the present Standard
should comply with the requirements of the present Standard without any exception.
If other existing structures (notably residential buildings) are to be put into conformity
from a seismic protection point of view, the requirements of the present Standard shall
then be applied except other else specified by the authority having jurisdiction.

LIBNOR Page 12