Seismic compliance plays a huge part in product design; from building materials, to products that allow vital services to continue during and after an earthquake.

As technology advances, people find better and safer ways to do things.

Maybe that’s you. Maybe you’ve designed an amazing product you want to take to market. You know it needs to be tested and certified, but where do you start?

Five things to think about:

1  Design advice and partnership

You want more than a ‘pass or fail’. Find a company to partner with you through the process, offering expert engineering advice to help you succeed. Don’t just take the test, work with a company that will help you pass.

2  The right testing

Make sure the seismic testing is in line with all relevant local and international standards and building regulations (e.g. ICC-ES AC-156 and ISO 15835).

3  Quick turnaround

Government organisations often have 12-month lead times. If you are under the pump, find a company that is flexible and agile; offering quick turnarounds.

4  Reports and documentation

Comprehensive test reports are so important. Clear, concise documentation gives peace of mind to everyone in the chain. Make sure you get top-quality reports that satisfy site engineers by detailing each product’s compliance.

5  Peace of mind

These days, everyone is responsible for making sure building regulations are met whenever relevant. When your products pass ‘earthquake testing’, you can breathe easy, knowing your product is safe. Work with a company who help you tick all the right boxes.

Seismic testing is needed for:

• Construction products: Pre-fab walls, non-structural elements, base isolation, bracing, damping, facades, etc.
• Building services: Heating, venting, extraction system, furnaces, sprinkler systems, etc.
• Unrestrained systems that can move and cause injury or block exit routes: above-ceiling air conditioning units, shelving, etc.
• Post-disaster functions in hospitals and hazardous facilities.
• Life safety systems and life support systems.

Holmes Solutions

We are a one-stop-shop for full seismic commercial testing and certification of both structural and non-structural elements. No job is too big or too small. We work with small businesses developing new products, as well as international companies needing multiple tests for large projects.

At our test laboratory in Christchurch, we have:

• a fully automated horizontal shake table,
• a vertical shake table.

Both tables handle samples <5m long and <3,000kg in mass.

The capabilities don’t stop there. Bring us your seismic testing questions and we’ll find the answers.

For info about our Seismic Testing, chat with Sam:

E:  sama@holmessolutions.com
P: +64 3 363 2180

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