Seismic-resistant construction regulation (Annex 3 to Resolution No. 71) and ventilated facades
Tbilisi is rated 8 on the MSK-64 scale, Batumi 7. The regulation treats parapets, cornices and similar elements as non-structural parts that must be checked.
Seismic design in Georgia is governed by the technical regulation "Seismic-resistant construction", Annex 3 to Government Resolution No. 71 of 15 January 2014. For a ventilated facade it does two things: it gives the design intensity of the site and it makes the facade a non-structural element that must be checked. The regulation does not describe ventilated facades, so the designer has to apply its general provisions. The source is Resolution No. 71 on matsne.gov.ge (Georgian; the seismic regulation is Annex 3).
Scale and structure of the regulation
The regulation uses the MSK-64 intensity scale. Its annexes contain:
- Annex 1 — a seismic hazard map in peak ground accelerations;
- Annex 2 — a list of settlements with the design intensity and the coefficient A;
- a requirement to refine the values by microzoning of the site.
The calculation method is spectral. The regulation does not use the EN 1998 approach.
Design intensity of the main cities
| City | Intensity, MSK-64 | Coefficient A |
|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi | 8 | 0.17 |
| Kutaisi | 8 | 0.13 |
| Batumi | 7 | 0.09 |
Take these values as the starting point and check them in Annex 2 of the regulation when a project is prepared. For a specific plot, the microzoning requirement can change the intensity, so ask whether a site study exists. City-by-city design conditions, including wind and climate, are collected in facade design in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi.
Article 6, paragraph 8: non-structural elements
This is the provision that reaches the facade. Non-structural elements whose collapse could cause casualties are checked for the design seismic action together with their supports. The regulation lists as examples:
- parapets and gables;
- equipment;
- infill walls and partitions;
- cornices;
- fences and similar elements.
The regulation does not address facade systems as such. A cladding on a subframe is therefore treated by analogy: panels, subframe, brackets and anchors must stay on the building under the seismic action. This is the position to agree with the reviewer.
What to check in a facade
| Element | Seismic question |
|---|---|
| Anchors in the base wall | Capacity under combined wind, self-weight and seismic action, including the quality of the substrate |
| Brackets and subframe | Strength and connection stiffness; slotted holes must not allow the panel to fall off |
| Panels and cassettes | Retention of the panel in its fixing when the base wall moves |
| Heavy cladding | Mass of the element, as the seismic force grows with it |
| Parapets, cornices, canopies | Named explicitly in paragraph 8; they are the elements with the highest risk to people below |
| Joints between building blocks | Gaps that let the facade follow movement of the two blocks without jamming |
The design principles for gaps and joints are in movement joints, and the engineering method is in seismic design of facades.
Load combinations and the calculation
The regulation provides the spectral method for the building. It does not give a separate procedure for the attachment of cladding. In practice the facade designer takes the design intensity and coefficient A for the site, determines the seismic force on the element and combines it with self-weight and wind from the climatology regulation. The combination rules and the safety factors should be written in the calculation note and agreed with the structural engineer of the project. Where the project uses EN 1998 or EN 1999 for parts of the check, say so explicitly: Eurocodes are not mandatory in Georgia, see Eurocodes in Georgia.
Recent amendment
Government Resolution No. 263 of 15 June 2026 amended Resolution No. 71 by adding paragraph 2¹ to the note to Article 6 of the seismic regulation. It concerns the number of storeys of schools and has no bearing on facades. Check the current consolidated version on matsne.gov.ge.
Typical mistakes
- Treating the facade as "architectural finish" and leaving it out of the seismic check altogether.
- Using the intensity of a neighbouring city. Tbilisi and Kutaisi are both 8 points but have different coefficients (0.17 and 0.13).
- Checking the panel but not the anchor and the substrate.
- Ignoring parapets and cornices, which the regulation names directly.
- Not recording which method was used for the facade, because the regulation gives no special one.
Earlier edition and sources
Before 2014 the seismic norm was an order of the Minister of Economic Development (No. 1-1/2284 of 7 October 2009, designation PN 01.01-09, amended by order No. 1-1/853 of 27 March 2012). It is now replaced by Resolution No. 71, so older project documents that cite PN 01.01-09 should be checked against the current regulation.
Order of work for the facade engineer
- Take the design intensity and coefficient A of the settlement from the regulation.
- Ask whether microzoning data exist for the plot.
- List the facade elements by mass and by height above ground.
- Calculate the seismic force on each element and on its supports.
- Verify anchors, brackets, subframe and panel fixing for the combined action.
- Document the method and the assumptions in the calculation note for the expert.
If you want the facade verified against these points, send us the drawings.