Seismic Design of the Kingsway Entertainment District

The design of structures of all types in the City of Greater Sudbury with respect to seismic loading is dictated by the Ontario Building Code under Section 4.1.8.1. Earthquake Load and Effects (PDF, 138.KB).

The Ontario Building Code establishes the designated Design Data for Selected Locations in Ontario (PDF, 1.14 MB) based on past activity in the area and information from Natural Resources Canada which tracks activities such as seismic events.

The requirements of the Building Code set out in the seismic data charts and formulas need to be adhered to regardless of the location on which the arena/event centre is built.

Seismic Events in Sudbury

Buildings designed since the introduction of the Ontario Building Code in 1974 have all been designed to check for seismic loading.  Within the City of Greater Sudbury we have experienced seismic events up to a Richter scale magnitude of 3.8 (August 2014) with no damages to our building stock.

How Buildings are Designed for Seismic Events

A geotechnical engineer will undertake a review of the proposed site and prepare a report that takes careful consideration of the soil conditions and type of foundation anticipated for the building.

They will provide a Site Classification for the proposed site which corresponds to criteria outlined in the Ontario Building Code. The criteria in the Building Code ensure that buildings of various site classifications are designed to specific standards to withstand seismic events.

A structural engineer takes these parameters and designs the structural support framing in accordance to the Ontario Building Code requirements for earthquake design.

The City of Greater Sudbury issues building permits for buildings that are designed by professional engineers and adhere to the minimum requirements of Fire Life Safety and Structural Adequacy dictated by the Ontario Building Code.