What is AISC 341, and when is it required?

• A. It's a welding standard
• B. It covers paint systems
• C. It covers anchor bolts
• D. AISC 341 is the Seismic Design Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings; required for projects in seismic design categories or located in seismic zones.

Answer: (D)

AISC 341 provides the seismic design provisions for structural steel buildings. It lays out the rules for how steel frames, their connections, and detailing must behave and be designed to resist earthquakes, ensuring ductility, redundancy, and energy dissipation during seismic events. It is required whenever the project falls under seismic design criteria as determined by the building code—typically for structures in seismic zones or assigned a Seismic Design Category. In practice, California projects with earthquake considerations usually reference AISC 341 as part of the design, alongside the general steel design standard. It’s not a welding standard, paint system standard, or specifically about anchor bolts; its purpose is to govern seismic performance of the steel frame.