Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Soft Story Clarifications topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves clarifications to AB107 for soft‑story engineering guidance
Summary
The commission unanimously approved language clarifying Administrative Bulletin AB107 (application of engineering criteria to San Francisco Building Code chapter 34B) that provides interpretive guidance on anchorage, sill plates and brick foundation testing without imposing new requirements.
The Building Inspection Commission unanimously approved clarifications to Administrative Bulletin AB107 on May 18, which provide engineers with additional references and testing guidance for soft‑story (Chapter 34B) work without creating new regulatory requirements.
Kirk Means, Technical Services and secretary to the Code Advisory Committee, told the commission the proposals "are clarifications on how to deal with these points of loads" and are intended to help engineers apply consistent calculations for anchorage into concrete and brick foundations, including reference to American Wood Council tables. Means said the bulletin clarifies when existing, corroded or loose anchors cannot be counted in calculations and allows testing-based values for brick foundations.
Commission discussion characterized the language as reasonable and consistent with industry practice. Commissioner Clinch moved to approve the revisions and Commissioner Walker seconded; the motion carried on a unanimous roll-call vote.
DBI staff emphasized the item contains no new requirements and is intended to reduce ambiguity for engineers working on soft‑story upgrades. The commission’s approval will publish the clarified bulletin for practitioners and is intended to assist with consistent implementation of soft‑story retrofit rules already in the code.
