Distinguished Webinar Series

Organized by Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering and Seismology /
L’Association Canadienne du Génie Parasismique et de la Sismologie

Application of NRC’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 Seismic Evaluation & Deficiency-Based Upgrading Procedures to an Existing Canadian Building

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Time: 3:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. PT

Abstract

Earthquakes are among the most destructive natural disasters, capable of causing severe casualties and significant economic losses. For building owners, assessing and mitigating seismic risks in existing buildings poses both technical and economic challenges. In Canada, there has long been a need for nationwide technical guidelines for seismic evaluation and upgrading. The National Research Council Canada (NRC) first addressed this in the 1990s by publishing Guidelines for Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings and Guideline for Seismic Upgrading od Building Structures. However, these documents were never updated and have since become outdated.

Currently, the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) Commentary L recommends ASCE 41 Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings as a reference for seismic evaluation and upgrading. While comprehensive, ASCE 41 is based on American design and construction practices, and its direct applicability to Canada requires careful consideration.

Recognizing this gap, the Seismic Resilience Team at NRC’s Construction Research Centre has spent the past seven years developing updated, Canadian‑specific technical guidelines—the newly released Level 3 – Seismic Evaluation Guidelines (SEG) and Seismic Upgrading Guidelines (SUG) for existing buildings in Canada.

Designed to help professionals apply these new guidelines for effective implementation, and to improve safety and resilience of existing buildings, a series of webinars and training workshops are being delivered by the NRC in partnership with CAEES.

Building on the preceding webinars that provided an overview of the Level 3 – SEG and SUG, this session demonstrates their practical application through a real‑world case study:

1. 1. Tier 1 Quick Evaluation: Identify potential seismic deficiencies in the building.
   2. Tier 2 Deficiency-Based Evaluation: Determine whether the identified potential deficiencies represent actual deficiencies.
   3. Deficiency-Based Upgrading: Implement upgrading measures to address the confirmed seismic deficiencies identified in Tier 2.

Presenters’ Biography

	Reza Fathi-Fazl, Ph.D., P.Eng. Senior Research Officer NRC ([email protected])	Dr. Reza Fathi-Fazl, P.Eng. is a Senior Research Officer and the Director of R&D for the Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (SRIC) unit at the National Research Council Canada (NRC). He leads national initiatives in seismic resilience, infrastructure rehabilitation, and low-carbon concrete construction, collaborating with government, industry, and academia across Canada and abroad. As a key contributor to NRC’s Seismic Resilience Team, he led the development of Seismic Screening, Evaluation, and Upgrading Guidelines adopted by PSPC and GAC. With over 50 publications and extensive applied research on major Canadian heritage and institutional retrofit projects—including Parliament Hill and the West Memorial Building—he bridges research and practice. Dr. Fathi-Fazl also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa, teaching and supervising graduate research in earthquake engineering and resilient infrastructure.
	Farrokh Fazileh, Ph.D., P.Eng. Senior Research Officer NRC ([email protected])	Dr. Farrokh Fazileh, P.Eng. is a Senior Research Officer at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) and adjunct professor at University of Ottawa and Carleton University. With over 20 years of experience in structural and earthquake engineering, his work focuses on developing performance-based design guidelines and improving building resilience to earthquakes. He has served as research advisor for seismic design provisions of the National Building Code 2025 and 2030, and has developed and implemented innovative seismic retrofit products and technologies in several existing and heritage building rehabilitation projects.
	Zhen Cai, Ph.D. Associate Research Officer NRC ([email protected])	Dr. Zhen Cai is an Associate Research Officer at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) with over a decade of expertise in earthquake engineering. For the past eight years, he has worked closely with colleagues to develop a series of technical guidelines for the seismic assessment and upgrading of existing buildings. His recent research focuses on performance-based assessment and retrofit, aimed at improving the resilience of buildings against climate change and earthquakes. Dr. Cai also serves as a non-voting member on the Task Group for Extreme Winds under the National Model Codes Committee on Climate Change Adaptation.

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