The NSR-10 requires nonstructural elements and their anchorages to be designed for earthquakes: finishes and facades, partition walls, plumbing, electrical and gas systems, mechanical equipment and shelving (A.9.1.2). Buildings in occupancy groups I and II located in low seismic hazard zones are exempt (A.9.1.3), as are most of those in Barranquilla and Cartagena.
Three performance levels
Superior: minimal damage, without interfering with operations. Good: repairable damage, with some interference. Low: serious damage, even beyond repair, but with no falling pieces and no collapse (A.9.2.1). The minimum depends on the occupancy group: superior for groups IV and III, good for group II and low for group I (table A.9.2-1). The owner may ask for a better level in writing.
Who is responsible
Each designer answers for the seismic design of the elements of their discipline (A.9.3.1), and the technical supervisor checks that they are built and installed according to the drawings (A.9.3.2). In practice, coordination between architecture, structure and building systems is where things fail most; a coordinated BIM model helps.
Even if it is exempt
A residential building in Barranquilla being exempt does not mean a heavy facade can go without anchors: wind and use load it too. The exemption is a legal minimum, not a design recommendation.
Source: NSR-10, Title A, chapter A.9.
Frequently asked questions
What are nonstructural elements?
The ones that do not hold the building up: finishes and facades, partition walls, plumbing, electrical and gas systems, equipment and shelving (NSR-10, A.9.1.2).
Are they exempt in Barranquilla?
Buildings in occupancy groups I and II in low seismic hazard zones, such as Barranquilla and Cartagena, are exempt from the requirements of chapter A.9 (A.9.1.3).
