Determine suspended ceiling requirements for Seismic Design Categories D, E, and F under ASTM E580

Steps

1. Confirm the project's Seismic Design Category (SDC) from the structural engineer's design documents (derived from ASCE 7 parameters and risk category) — don't self-classify from geography.
2. Confirm ASTM E580/E580M is structured around two groupings: provisions for SDC C (light-to-moderate seismic potential) and a more stringent set for SDC D, E, and F (severe seismic potential); verify the current edition via astm.org since it has been revised multiple times (recent editions include E580-20, -22, -24).
3. For SDC D-F projects, apply the full D-F provisions (perimeter attachment, horizontal restraint, vertical struts, seismic separation joints — see related routes for each) rather than the lighter SDC C subset.
4. Confirm whether E580 is being used in lieu of a project-specific engineered lateral-restraint design (E580 explicitly allows this substitution) or whether the engineer specified an alternative substantiated by test/engineering data acceptable to the AHJ.
5. Confirm with the AHJ and engineer of record that E580 is formally referenced for the project's adopted code cycle, since it is a voluntary consensus standard whose adoption depends on the applicable building code edition.