Seismic Isolation Consulting: System Selection and BOQ Preparation | Seismic Isolation
OWNER SIDE CONSULTING

Seismic isolation consulting: system selection and BOQ preparation

Which isolator family, which capacity class, which testing scope? Every line that enters the specification turns into money at tender. We sit on the owner's side of the table. We compare the options and make the bids readable against each other.

Two separate jobs, one point of contact

System selection happens at the start of the project, the bill of quantities just before tender. Take both, or only the one you need.

SERVICE 1

Isolation system selection

Lead rubber bearings (LRB), friction pendulum (FPS) and high damping rubber (HDR) behave differently under the same building. The choice is driven by the displacement demand the site imposes and the vertical loads, not by a catalogue. We prepare the data behind that decision before the designer and the manufacturer are at the table.

  • Comparison matrix for the three isolator families, built from site and building data
  • First screening on site class, distance to fault and target period
  • Manufacturer shortlist: who can meet the prototype and production testing requirement
  • Candidate list for the engineer of record and the independent design reviewer
  • Decision memo: which family, why, and under which conditions the answer changes

SERVICE 2

Isolation BOQ preparation

The bill of quantities is the document the isolation work is priced on. A missing item is invisible at tender and becomes an invoice on site. We do not run the engineer's calculations; we stand beside the owner while the results of those calculations are turned into the list that goes out to bid.

  • Isolator items: capacity classes, counts, spares and prototype specimens
  • Testing items: prototype and production tests, laboratory, shipping, witnessing
  • Isolation plane details: seismic gap, elevator and stair crossings, guardrails
  • Flexible utility connections: water, gas, electrical, mechanical
  • Commissioning and periodic inspection items
  • Bid comparison table: reading offers against the same specification side by side

How we work

Four steps. The first two take weeks, the last two follow your tender calendar.

1

Data collection

Geotechnical report, architecture, storey count, occupancy category, schedule. We start with what exists and list what is missing.

2

System comparison

Matrix for the three families, manufacturer shortlist and decision memo. Designer selection is settled at this stage too.

3

BOQ and specification

Capacity and displacement values from the engineer's analysis become line items. Testing and inspection items are added.

4

Tender and bid reading

Several manufacturers bid the same specification. We lay the offers side by side and write down where the difference comes from.

Who it is for

Projects where isolation has been decided, or is seriously on the table. Hospitals and health campuses, data centers, public buildings, tall residential and office, manufacturing facilities. On retrofit projects we come in once the feasibility study is complete.

We advise on projects governed by ASCE 7 Chapter 17 in the United States, EN 1998 (Eurocode 8) in Europe, and TBDY 2018 in Türkiye, where the same service is offered in Turkish.

Why an independent advisor

The manufacturer recommends its own product, the designer its own habit, the contractor its own capability. Each may be right. None of them compares the options on your behalf. An independent advisor does.

We do not design and we do not run the analysis. Engineering decisions and stamps stay with the licensed engineer of record. Our role is comparison and getting the right people in the room.

The fee is written down with the scope. The call fee is credited against the consulting fee.

PROPOSAL

Describe the project, we send a proposal

System selection, BOQ preparation, or both. Scope and fee in writing within one business day.

Location, area, floors, timeline, budget range, anything helpful.

Frequently asked questions

Is BOQ preparation the same as engineering design?

No. Capacities and design displacements come from the engineer of record. We turn those values into the line items that go out to tender and add the testing and inspection items that are usually missing. We also make the bids comparable.

Which isolator is cheaper, lead rubber or friction pendulum?

There is no ranking that holds from one project to the next; the price is set at tender. The right method is to bid the same specification to both families. For budgeting, the useful scale is a percentage: isolation typically adds 10 to 15 percent to the structural frame cost.

When should you come in?

For system selection, before the design contract is signed and no later than schematic design. For the BOQ, before construction documents are complete. We can still compare bids on projects that have already gone to tender, but there is less room to fix the line items.

How is the fee set?

A fixed fee against a written scope. Fill in the form and we send the scope and fee within one business day. If you would rather talk first, the 30 minute call fee is credited against the consulting fee.