Seismic Regulations for Chile

This page describes the seismic regulations that have been introduced in Chile since 1935, along with the seismic zonation maps associated with each code, and our estimated fraction of the building stock designed according to the different code levels. If you find incorrect or missing information on this page, please provide your feedback using the form linked at the bottom.

Current Seismic Design Regulation

The current seismic design regulation in Chile is NCh 433-1996 Mod.2012. The most recent official update to this standard was in 2012, which includes modifications to Supreme Decree No. 61. According to this decree, the regulation was adjusted and supplemented based on the information from the damages caused by the February 2010 earthquake. This regulation will remain in effect until the INN (Instituto Nacional de Normalización) develops a new technical standard, which needs to be declared the Official Standard of the Republic of Chile by a Supreme Decree from the Minvu (Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo). The Chilean standard is available in Spanish and is subject to a fee.

Evolution of design regulations and seismic zonations

Description of each regulation, including a link to access the document if available:

• OGUC-1935: Ley y Ordenanza General Sobre Construcciones y Urbanización de 1935

• NCh 433-1972: Norma Chilena Oficial, Cálculo Antisísmico de Edificios de 1972

• NCh 433-1993: Norma Chilena Oficial, Cálculo Antisísmico de Edificios de 1993

• NCh 433-1996: Norma Chilena Oficial, Cálculo Antisísmico de Edificios de 1996 (Modified in 2009 and 2012)

Estimated fractions by code level for the country

Estimated fractions by code level per region