How do you know when seismic bracing is required for fire sprinkler piping? Lets walk through the general procedure to determine if bracing is required. ( Hint - You can just go to our Seismic Calculator App and have much of the look up work done for you. ) STEP ONE - APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND CODES Assuming that you are working in a jurisdiction that has adopted the International Building Code (IBC), you would start with section 1613.1 which states: 1613.1 Scope. Every structure, and portion thereof, including nonstructural components that are permanently attached to structures and their supports and attachments , shall be designed and constructed to resist the effects of earthquake motions in accordance with ASCE 7, excluding Chapter 14 and Appendix l1A. T he seismic design category for a structure is permitted to be determined in accordance with Section 1613 or ASCE 7. Furthermore the International Mechanical Code (IMC) section 301.15 states:...