Safe anchoring in Earthquake zones
Fastenings under seismic actions. White Paper for planners,structural and civil engineers.
Safe  anchoring  in  Earthquake zones

Challenges for structural engineers when fastening load-bearing and non-load-bearing components under seismic loading

Earthquakes aren’t all that rare. Small earthquakes measuring between 3.0 to 4.0 on the Richter scale occur approximately 130,000 times a year around the globe. More devastating earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 to 8.0 occur 15 times per year on average. Countries on the eastern Mediterranean Sea, from Italy and the Balkan Peninsular to Greece and Turkey, are affected more frequently than average.

Depending on the magnitude of the tremors, earthquakes can cause landslides, soil liquefaction, floods and tsunamis while damaging electrical and gas lines. Earthquakes can also cause cracks in walls, foundation displacement and broken pipes. It’s not just the stability of buildings that’s impaired by earthquakes. Components that are fastened to buildings (non-load-bearing components) also present a risk to life and limb.


fischer’s white paper on ‘anchorages under seismic loading’ provides answers to key questions about earthquake-proof anchorages:

  • What is the difference between load-bearing and non-load-bearing components?
  • Which three documents are required for designing fastenings under seismic loading?
  • How is the seismic load of a plug calculated in accordance with EN 1998-1?
  • What do performance categories C1 and C2 mean?
  • What are the three possible design approaches as per EN 1992-4?
  • How are the seismic design resistance and the characteristic resistance against seismic action calculated?
  • What needs to be taken into account in the event of anchorages with hole clearance?
  • What is the role of displacement-based approaches?
  • What products does fischer offer for seismic loading?

Products for seismic loading

In order to prevent grave consequences for the public in the event of an earthquake, non-load-bearing building components also require earthquake-proof fastening. The fixing specialist fischer offers a wide variety of products that are suitable for fastenings under seismic loading.

The following products can withstand even high seismic actions:


fischer Services: FiXperience & Technical Advice

In general, those installing anchorages under seismic loading must present evidence that the selected products are suitable for the action provided. Structural engineers can provide this evidence for entire projects as well as individual applications with the fischer FiXperience Suite software. In addition to this offline version, there is also a FiXperience Online browser version. Find out which opportunities await you in the C-FIX Online module contained in the software:

Try out the FiXperience Online design programme free of charge now!

Structural engineers will also find competent support from fischer’s Technical Advice Experts, who are available by email (intsupport@fischer.de)


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