Overview of ATC Seminar on Design of Prefabricated Concrete Buildings for Earthquake Loads

^e development of clear and concise design guidelines for the engineering profession is the ultimate objective of the many groups involved in formulating building industry codes or standards. Literally, hundreds of thousands of hours have been spent in developing our current standards. This effort has certainly not been wasted. Today, excellent design guidelines exist for most of our building materials. Well developed standards are essential to the engineering profession if it is to meet the demands of today's society where: • The pace of building design and construction, accelerated by the high cost of obtaining money, has condensed development schedules; a process usually referred to as "fast tracking." • The public and the money-lending community have become more aware of building failures and the potential for loss of life and/or investment which can result from a faulty design. • The desire of our architectural profession to provide more exciting space has increased the complexity of buildings. • The construction industry in an effort to control costs has introduced more sophisticated building materials and methods of construction. Today, complex designs must be produced accurately and rapidly. Construction may even precede the project review by building officials, lenders or insurance companies. This process