OSHPD Seismic Requirements — Complete Checklist (2026)

Every piece of nonstructural equipment installed in a California hospital must satisfy the OSHPD/HCAI seismic requirements before plan-check approval. This is the full 7-step checklist — the same one our PE/SE engineers work through on every certification package.

Quick note: OSHPD was renamed HCAI in July 2021. The requirements below are identical under both names — see What does OSHPD mean? for the background.

The 7 OSHPD/HCAI seismic requirements

1. 1. Determine Ip (Component Importance Factor)

   Per ASCE 7-22 §13.1.3, equipment in hospitals is almost always Ip = 1.5. This triggers mandatory seismic certification — by OSP, OPM, or project-specific cert.

2. 2. Calculate seismic design force Fp

   ASCE 7-22 §13.3.1: Fp = (0.4·SDS·Ip·Wp / Rpo) · (1 + 2·z/h)·Hf. Bounded by Fp,min and Fp,max per §13.3.3.

3. 3. Apply Ω₀ overstrength to anchorage

   ASCE 7-22 §13.4.2 requires Ω₀p amplification on concrete-controlled anchor limit states (ACI 318-19 Ch. 17). Skipping this is the #1 plan-check rejection.

4. 4. Certify the equipment itself

   Three pathways: (1) HCAI OSP — pre-approved listing, fastest. (2) HCAI OPM — manufacturer listing. (3) Project-specific cert under IBC §1705.13 / ASCE 7-22 §13.2.2. AC156 shake-table testing required for OSP.

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. Include cracked-concrete assumption per §17.6.2.6.

6. 6. Submit per current PIN bulletins

   PIN 55 (OSP program, 2025 rev), PIN 62 (OPM, 2025), PIN 68 (fixed/mobile/movable anchorage). Check the latest revision before submitting — bulletins update annually.

7. 7. Field installation & inspection

   Installed per the OSP/OPM listing conditions (anchor type, embedment, edge distance). Special inspection per CBC §1705 by a HCAI-approved IOR.

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 (2025 revision)
• HCAI PIN 62 — OPM program (2025)
• HCAI PIN 68 — fixed / mobile / movable equipment anchorage

The 3 most common plan-check rejections

1. Missing Ω₀ overstrength on anchorage. ASCE 7-22 §13.4.2 requires it on concrete-controlled limit states. Catches roughly 1 in 3 submittals.
2. Uncracked concrete assumption. ACI 318-19 §17.6.2.6 requires cracked unless analysis proves otherwise.
3. Wrong PIN revision. HCAI updates PIN bulletins annually. Submitting under last year's PIN 55 gets rejected.

Related

• What is an HCAI OSP?
• What does OSHPD mean?
• Free OSP database
• HCAI certification cost
• HCAI certification timeline
• AC156 shake-table testing