Something I have been wondering while studying for the SE is whether or not engineers are obligated to worry about loads their new projects place on the surrounding buildings.
For example their new tall building causes a new snow load effect from snow blowing from their roof onto the nearby...
What determines the magnitude of earthquake is used when coming up with earthquake loads? Obviously this varies with region, but is there a table that the design magnitude is pulled from or is there some chart that connects spectral acceleration to magnitudes? I'm trying to connect the values...
