WLFR (Wood Light Frame Residential)	This prototype includes single family detached homes and attached town houses. They are generally one or two stories high with a footprint area in the range of 70 to 350 square meters. The vast majority of buildings in southwestern BC are of this prototype, usually located in the residential or suburban areas. These buildings usually behave very well (lightweight, low rise, many walls) except when a parking garage is built into the structure creating an equivalent of a weak storefront.
WLFCI (Wood Light Frame Low Rise Commercial/Institutional)	This prototype includes one or two storey commercial and institutional buildings varying in size from 80 to 600 square meters in footprint area. The ground floor usually has extensive areas of glazing creating a storefront. This prototype makes up about 10% of the commercial/institutional building stock. These buildings behave well if there are less window openings than half the area of the perimeter wall. Commercial buildings with storefronts are subject to extensive damage if they are stand-alone structures.
WLFLR (Wood Light Frame Low Rise Residential)	This prototype includes wood fram structures up to four stories in height principally for residential use. THe footprint area can be as large as 1500 sqare meters. They usually have considerable interior load bearing walls and no extensive glazing. Exterior walls may be clad in a variety of materials including wood or vinyl siding, stucco, brick veneer, and metal. About 90% of all low-rise residential buildings are of this prototype. THese structures generally behave well if they do not hava a ground level parking area, or if they have concrete underground parking levels.
WPB (Wood Post and Beam)	This prototype includes some one or two storey commercial and institutional structures. Old high-rise structures (industrial, storage, manufacturing) area also classified as post and beam if the perimeter columns are load bearing and the masonry part is not load bearing. This prototype can be found in "Westcoast Style" post and beam homes of the 1950's and 1960's; one or two storey industrial facilities of the 1920's to 1950's; schools, gymnasiums, churches, warehouses as well as some commercial structures of the 1950's and 1960's. These buildings generally behave poorly.
LMF (Light Metal Frame)	This prototype includes lightweight pre-engineering "Butler" type industrial and agricultural buildings (usually used as warehouses or industrial shops) with rigid frames in the short direction and cross bracing in the other direction. About 5% of the inventory of industrial warehouse type buildings are of this prototype. Theses buildings are expected to behave well.
SMFLR (Steel Moment Frame Low Rise)	This prototype includes steel moment framed structures of one to three stories in height, generally used for institutional facilities or office structures. Moment frames transfer lateral forces form the floors to the foundations in one or both directions. Theses structures are extremely rare is southwestern BC and are extremely hard to identify unless portions of the structure are exposed. These are very flexible buildings and will cause extensive non-structural damage due to the flexibility and torsional effects (rigid floor diaphragms with flexible frame).
SMFMR (Steel Moment Frame Medium Rise)	This prototype includes steel moment framed structures of four to seven stories in height, generally used for institutional facilities or office structures. Theses structures are extremely rare is southwestern BC and are extremely hard to identify unless portions of the structure are exposed. These are very flexible buildings and will cause extensive non-structural damage due to the flexibility and torsional effects (rigid floor diaphragms with flexible frame).
SMFHR (Steel Moment Frame High Rise)	This prototype includes steel moment framed structures of over eight stories in height, generally used for institutional facilities or office structures. Theses structures are extremely rare is southwestern BC and are extremely hard to identify unless portions of the structure are exposed. These are very flexible buildings and will cause extensive non-structural damage due to the flexibility and torsional effects (rigid floor diaphragms with flexible frame).
SBFLR (Steel Braced Frame Low Rise)	This prototype includes structures with steel braced frames in both directions, one to three stories in height, generally used for one or two storey commercial and institutional buildings as well as many low-rise industrial facilities. About one third of older industrial facilities and 5% of the commerical and institutional buildings are of this prototype. They are hard to identify unless the bracing is exposed. These structures usually have storefronts and flexible diaphragms, which may cause problems as well as connections of the bracing system.
SBFMR (Steel Braced Frame Medium Rise)	This prototype includes structures with steel braded frames in both directions, four to seven stories in height, generally found in older office buildings as well as in older light manufacturing facilities. Many multi-storey industrial facilities such as pulp and paper mill boiler plants are also of this prototype. However, other than these structures, this prototype is very rare in southwestern BC. They are also hard to identify unless the bracing is exposed. These structures are in high risk because of their flexibility coupled with the attachment of a heavy perimeter cladding. They behave poorly usually because of poor connections in the bracing system.
SBFHR (Steel Braced Frame High Rise)	This prototype includes structures with steel braced frames in both directions, over eight stories in height, generally used for office buildings and some very tall industrial buildings such as grain elevators. These structures are very rare in southwestern BC and hard to identify unless the bracing is exposed. These structures are in high risk because of their flexibility coupled with the attachment of a heavy perimeter cladding. They behave poorly usually because of poor connections in the bracing system.
SFCWLR (Steel Frame with Concrete Walls Low Rise)	This prototype includes one and two-storey steel framed structures that use concrete shear walls as their vertical elements to transfer seismic forces from roof and floors to the foundations. It is one of the most common forms of steel construction for commercial and institutional buildings, particularly those constructed after 1970's. The steel frame may be hard to identify unless drawings or access is available. These buildings generally behave well, particularly if the walls are well distributed, although stuctures with storefronts will experience damage.
SFCWMR (Steel Fram with Concrete Walls Medium Rise)	This prototype includes steel frame structures with concrete shear walls from three to seven stories in height, generally used for commercial and institutional buildings. It is a fairly common form of steel construction for commercial and institutional buildings, making up about 30% of the inventory of medium rise buildings. The steel frame may be hard to identify unless drawings or access to the structure is available. These buildings generally behave well, particularly if the walls are well distributed to minimize torsional effects.
SFCWHR (Steel Frame with Concrete Walls High Rise)	This protytpe includes steel frame structures with concrete shear walls over eight stories in height, used for commercial and institutional buildings. It was fairly common prior to 1985, however, is now being superceded by concrete frame with concrete shear wall structures (CFHR). About 15% of the pre-1985 office towers and probably less than 10% of the post-1985 towers are of this prototype. The steel frame may be hard to identify unless drawings or access to the structure is available. These buildings generally behave well, particularly if the concrete shear walls are well distributed to minimize torsional effects and have well-detailed connections to the steel frames.
SFCIW (Steel Frame with Concrete Infill Walls)	This prototype includes steel framed buildings with concrete infill walls, which were usually built along the sides of the building and used as a fire seperation between the buildings (not considered as shear walls). This was a common form of construction prior to the 1950's, when offices and some light industrial buildings (up to seven stories) were constructed in this manner. These buildings are hard to identify unless the adjacent building has been torn down. They are expected to behave reasonably well although extensive damage and partial collapses can be expected if storefronts exist.
SFMIW (Steel Frame with Masonry Infill Walls)	This prototype includes steel framed buildings with masonry infill walls, which were usually built along the sides of the building and used as a fire seperation between the buildings (not considered as shear walls). This was a common form of construction prior to the 1950's, when offices and some light industrial buildings (up to seven stories) were constructed in this manner. These buildings are hard to identify unless the adjacent building has been torn down. They were generally not designed for seismic forces, hence they will not behave well and extensive damage and partial collapse can be expected.
CFLR (Concrete Frame with Concrete Walls Low Rise)	This prototype includes one to three-storey concrete framed structures that use concrete shear walls (in one or both directions) as their vertical elements to transfer seismic forces from the roof and floors to the foundations. It is commonly used for commerical and even more commonly for institutional buildings. These buildings generally behave well, particularly if the footprint is rectangular unless the footprint is large enough to cause torsional problems together with inappropriately located shear walls.
CFMR (COncrete Frame with Concrete Walls Medium Rise)	This prototype includes concrete framed structures with concrete shear walls from four to seven stories in height. It is a very common form of construction for medium rise residential, commercial and institutional buildings, making up more than 50% of the inventory of medium rise buildings. These buildings are usually easy to identify and they generally behave well, particularly if the walls are well distributed to minimize torsional effects.
CFHR (Concrete Frame with Concrete Walls High Rise)	This prototype includes concrete frmaed structures with concrete shear walls over eight stories in height. It is an extremely common form of construction for commercial and residential high rises, making up over 90% of the inventory of high rise buildings. These buildings are usually easy to identify and they generally behave well, particularly those built after 1985.
RCMFLR (Reinforced Concrete Moment Frame Low Rise)	This prototype includes reinforced concrete moment frame structures of one to three stories in height, generally used for institutional facilities or office structures. The moment frames are used in one or both directions and they replace the shear walls to transfer lateral forces from the floors to the foundation. This form of construction is very rare in southwestern BC and is extremely hard to identify without drawings. Inadequate detailing of the joints may cause extensive damage in these structures.
RCMFMR (Reinforced Concrete Moment Frame Medium Rise)	This prototype includes reinforced concrete moment frame structures of four to seven stories in height, generally used for office structures. This form of construction is extremely rare in southwestern BC and is extremely hard to identify without drawings. Inadequate detailing of the joints may cause extensive damage in these structures.
RCMFHR (Reinforced Concrete Moment Frame High Rise)	This prototype includes reinforced concrete moment frame structures of over eight stories in height, generally used for office structures. This form of construction is extremely rare in southwestern BC and is extremely hard to identify without drawings. Inadequate detailing of the joints may cause extensive damage in these structures.
RCFIW (Reinforced Concrete Frame with Infill Walls)	This prototype includes reinforced concrete frame buildings with masonry infill walls, which were usually built along the sides of the building and used as a fire seperation between the building (not considered as shear walls). This was a common form of construction prior to the 1950's, when offices and some light industrial buildings (up to seven stories) were constructed in this manner. These buildings are difficult to identify unless the adjacent building has been torn down. They were generally not designed for seismic forces, hence they will not behave well and extensive damage and partial collapse can be expected.
RMLR (Reinforced Masonry Shear Wall Low Rise)	This prototype includes one to three storey high buildings with perimeter load bearing walls of reinforced masonry. Since 1973, when the National Building Code of Canada required that all masonry be reinforced, this has become a very common form of construction for low rise commercial, institutional and industrial buildings. These buildings are usually easy to identify. The walls generally behave well, however, whether or not the roof diaphragm connection to the walls will function adequately is a major concern for these buildings.
RMMR (Reinforced Masonry Shear Wall Medium Rise)	This prototype includes buildings with perimeter load bearing walls of reinforced masonry, over three stories in height. In the mid-1970's, these buildings were constructed to compete with reinforeced concrete structures, however, after a small number were built, they were found noncompetitive. Therefore, they are very rare in southwestern BC. Extensive damage in anticipated in these types of buildings.
URMLR (Unreinforced Masonry Bearing Wall Low Rise)	This prototype includes buildings up to three stories in height with perimeter load bearing walls of clay brick, concrete block and hollow clay. This was a very common form of low-rise construction for commercial, institutional and industrial buildings until 1973, when the National Building Code of Canada required that all masonry be reinforced. These buildings are easy to identify, usually showing extensive areas of red clay brick. They behave very poorly and are considered the most hazardous form of construction in seismic areas.
URMMR (Unreinforced Masonry Bearing Wall Low Rise)	This prototype includes three to six storey buidlings with perimeter load bearing walls of clay brick with thickness reaching 750 mm. This form of construction was used for commercial and light industrial buildings prior to 1940. These buildings are easy to identify with thick walls and usually extensive areas of red or orange clay brick exposed, often in poor condition. They behave very poorly and are considered the most hazardous form of construction in seismic areas.
TU (Tilt Up)	This prototype includes low-rise structures with walls that are constructed of reinforced concrete panels, which have been cast on site on top of the concrete slab on grade and then tilted into position. It is commonly used since late 1970's for warehouses, light manufacturing and research facilities. These buildings are expected to behave resonable well in BC because of the use of steel roof systems and their superior connections.
PCLR (Precast Concrete Low Rise)	This prototype includes one to three storey high buildings that are constructed of concrete components that have been manufactured off site in a plant and transported to the construction site for installation. Installation consists of lifting and connecting the members together and then pouring a topping over the floors to create a level surface. This form of construction was quite common during the 1960's and 1970's for institutional buildings as well as for parking structures. These structures make up a very small portion of the southwestern BC inventory and behave poorly, primarily due to the connection failures.
PCMR (Precast Concrete Medium Rise)	This prototype includes over four storey high buildings that are constructed of concrete components that have been manufacture off site in a plant and transported to the construction site for installation. Although this form of construction is common in Canada for commercial and institutional buidlings, it has been seldom used in southwestern BC. These structures make up a very small portion of the southwestern BC inventory and behave poorly, primarily due to the connection failures.
MH (Mobile Homes)	This prototype includes single storey wood framed factory manufactured buildings and school portables. They are generally not more than 33 square meters in area. Individual units behave well if adequately skirted and anchored to a foundation.
EB (Empty Block)