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OSHPD Seismic Requirements — 7-Step Checklist (2026)

Nonstructural equipment installed in a California hospital generally has to satisfy the OSHPD/HCAI seismic requirements before plan-check approval, with applicability and exemptions depending on the component and the project. This 7-step checklist outlines the sequence our PE/SE engineers work through on a certification package.

Quick note: in July 2021 the department became HCAI, and OSHPD continues as the office within HCAI that regulates healthcare facility design and construction. OSHPD facility classifications and program names are unchanged — see What does OSHPD mean? for the background.

Scope of this page

This checklist is general reference material, not project-specific engineering advice. Code applicability, exemptions, component importance, design forces, and certification pathways are determined by the engineer of record for each project under the adopted CBC and current HCAI provisions. Confirm requirements against the official sources: HCAI OSP program, HCAI OPM program, and the HCAI 2025 CBC preapproval changes webinar handout.

The 7 OSHPD/HCAI seismic requirements

  1. 1. Determine Ip (Component Importance Factor)

    The component importance factor is a project-specific determination made by the engineer of record under ASCE 7-22 §13.1.3 as adopted by the governing CBC edition, based on the component's post-earthquake function, its contents, and the structure it occupies. Document the basis for the value used rather than assuming a single value applies to every component in a hospital.

  2. 2. Calculate seismic design force Fp

    Use the horizontal force equation in the governing ASCE 7-22 Chapter 13 provisions as adopted, and apply the lower and upper bounds the standard imposes. Document each input — SDS, Ip, Wp, the height amplification and ductility terms (Hf, Rmu), and the component coefficients (CAR, Rpo) read from the applicable component table row — with its source, and have the derivation verified by the engineer of record for the specific project.

  3. 3. Apply Ω₀ overstrength to anchorage

    Identify the anchorage design provisions, applicable load combinations, overstrength requirements and any permitted alternatives in the governing ASCE 7 and ACI 318 editions. The project engineer should document the demand used for each steel and concrete limit state and verify the applicable tension-shear interaction checks.

  4. 4. Certify the equipment itself where Special Seismic Certification applies

    Where the adopted CBC and HCAI provisions require Special Seismic Certification for a given component, two pathways are generally recognized: a voluntary HCAI OSP listing, or a project-specific certification under IBC §1705.13 / ASCE 7-22 §13.2.3 reviewed by HCAI. Applicability and exemptions vary by component and project; consult the current HCAI OSP program materials for the certification and testing requirements that apply. HCAI OPM (preapproval of seismic supports and attachments) and HCAI PCS (preapproved prefabricated components and systems) are separate voluntary programs and are not substitutes for Special Seismic Certification.

  5. 5. Provide anchorage calculations

    PE/SE-stamped anchor calcs per ACI 318-19 Ch. 17 — steel, breakout, pullout, side-face blowout, pryout, and §17.8 interaction — using capacities from the anchor's current evaluation report at the specified embedment, edge distance, spacing, and base-material condition. State the cracked/uncracked assumption and its basis per §17.6.2.6.

  6. 6. Submit per current HCAI bulletins

    PIN 55 (OSP program), PIN 62 (OPM), and PIN 68 (fixed/mobile/movable anchorage) are relevant bulletins for equipment anchorage submittals. HCAI revises bulletins on its own schedule, so confirm the current revision on the HCAI website before submitting.

  7. 7. Field installation, inspection & IOR coordination

    Install per the approved documents and any listing conditions (anchor type, embedment, edge distance). Statutory special inspections are performed by the inspectors qualified for each specific inspection task under CBC §1705 and the approved inspection program; the HCAI-approved Inspector of Record coordinates and oversees project inspection but does not replace those specialty special inspectors.

Governing codes & bulletins

  • 2025 California Building Code — Chapters 16 & 17
  • ASCE 7-22 Chapter 13 — nonstructural seismic design (guide)
  • ACI 318-19 Chapter 17 — anchorage in concrete
  • ICC-ES AC156 — shake-table testing protocol
  • HCAI PIN 55 — OSP program
  • HCAI PIN 62 — OPM program
  • HCAI PIN 68 — fixed / mobile / movable equipment anchorage

Check the HCAI website for the current revision of each bulletin before you submit.

Plan-check documentation issues to review

  • Overstrength treatment on anchorage. Identify the anchorage design provisions, applicable load combinations, overstrength requirements and any permitted alternatives in the governing ASCE 7 and ACI 318 editions. The project engineer should document the demand used for each steel and concrete limit state and verify the applicable tension-shear interaction checks.
  • Cracked-concrete assumption. ACI 318-19 §17.6.2.6 treats concrete as cracked unless analysis demonstrates otherwise; state the assumption and its basis.
  • Bulletin revision cited. Verify the PIN revision referenced in the submittal matches the one currently posted by HCAI.
  • Inputs traceable to a source. Site hazard values, building data, component table row, and anchor evaluation-report tables should each be cited, not implied.
  • Installed condition matches the calculation. Anchor type, embedment, edge distance, spacing, and base material on the drawings should match what the capacities assume.

Related

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Frequently asked questions

What are the OSHPD seismic requirements for equipment?
For equipment in California hospitals the project team generally must (1) satisfy Special Seismic Certification where the adopted code requires it for that component — demonstrated by a voluntary HCAI OSP preapproval or by a project-specific certification reviewed by HCAI under IBC §1705.13 / ASCE 7-22 §13.2.3; (2) provide PE/SE-stamped anchorage calculations to ACI 318-19 Ch. 17, which is support and attachment engineering and not a substitute for Special Seismic Certification; (3) document the component importance factor and the Ω₀ overstrength treatment under ASCE 7-22 Chapter 13; (4) install per the approved documents and any listing conditions; and (5) complete the special inspections required by the approved inspection program, coordinated by the HCAI-approved IOR. Applicability and exemptions vary by component and project and are confirmed by the project engineer under the adopted CBC and HCAI provisions.
What code governs OSHPD seismic certification?
The California Building Code edition adopted for the project — currently the 2025 CBC for new submittals — which references ASCE 7-22 Chapter 13 for nonstructural components and ACI 318-19 Chapter 17 for anchorage. HCAI also publishes PIN bulletins; PIN 55 (OSP), PIN 62 (OPM), and PIN 68 (anchorage) are relevant for equipment. Confirm the current revision of each bulletin on the HCAI website.
Does OSHPD require shake table testing?
It depends on the pathway and the component. The HCAI OSP preapproval program relies on ICC-ES AC156 shake-table testing for the equipment it lists; consult the current HCAI OSP program materials for the testing requirements that apply to a given component. A project-specific seismic certification reviewed by HCAI may, for some components, be supported by analysis where the governing provisions allow it.
When is Ip = 1.5 required?
ASCE 7-22 §13.1.3 describes the categories in which the higher component importance factor applies — including components required for life safety after an earthquake, components conveying or containing hazardous materials, and certain components in Risk Category IV structures. Whether a specific component falls in one of those categories is determined by the engineer of record for the project; it is not automatic for every item of equipment in a hospital.

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Continue through the connected code, certification, and design references.

HCAI Seismic CertificationCertification pathways for California hospital equipment.HCAI Seismic CertificationHCAI Certification CostWhat OSP, OPM, and project certification actually cost.HCAI Certification CostHCAI Certification TimelineReview durations and how to avoid the common schedule traps.HCAI Certification TimelineHCAI OSP CertificationSpecial seismic certification preapproval, formerly OSHPD OSP.HCAI OSP Certification