The primary purpose of this document is to provide technically sound and nationally acceptable guidelines for the seismic rehabilitation of buildings. The Guidelines for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings are intended to serve as a ready tool for design professionals, a reference document for building regulatory officials, and a foundation for the future development and implementation of building code provisions and standards.

The goal of the NEHRP Recommended Provisions is to present criteria for the design and construction of new buildings subject to earthquake ground motions in order to minimize the hazard to life for all buildings, to increase the expected performance of higher occupancy structures as compared to ordinary structures, and to improve the capability of essential facilities to function after an earthquake.