Building Performance Levels per ASCE 7-16

Building performance can be expressed in multiple ways. In building design practice, the most common approach is to define a series of performance objectives. A performance objective is a statement of the expected building performance conditioned on it having been subjected to a particular loading.

ASCE 7-16 Section 11.2 recommends that a standard building is designed to satisfy one performance objective, life safety; it has been subjected to two-thirds of the Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCER) shaking level.