Future Developments in the Seismic Analysis and Design of Nonstructural Components for Buildings

Abstract eng:
Damage to nonstructural components has accounted for the majority of earthquake losses in recent earthquakes, especially in the United States and Chile. This damage primarily occurred to nonstructural components located within buildings. The current procedures for seismic design of nonstructural components were first introduced in the 1994 edition of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulations for New Buildings with the intention of lessening this damage. The procedures were subsequently incorporated into the 1997 edition of the Uniform Building Code and into the 2000 edition of the International Building Code and provided a substantial improvement in seismic design practice. Many new concepts, new to the building codes, were introduced, including consideration of dynamic properties of the component, location of the component within the supporting structure, and explicit attention to the relative importance of the component and component ductility. The nonstructural concepts developed in the 1994 NEHRP Recommended Provisions have been in use for over two decades, and since 1995 have been incorporated in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) ASCE/SEI 7, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Because of the timing and epicenter locations of recent earthquakes, nonstructural components designed and installed to satisfy these current seismic design procedures have not yet been subjected to significant damaging earthquakes. In 2013, the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) published GCR 13-917-23, Development of NIST Measurement Science R&D Roadmap: Earthquake Risk Reduction in Buildings [1]. This document identified nonstructural issues as a top-priority for studies related to earthquake engineering for new and existing buildings. New research tools and analysis results as well the availability of new international standards, makes reexamination of nonstructural design criteria possible at this time. Accordingly, NIST initiated the ATC-120 project with the Applied Technology Council (ATC) in late 2014. The goal of this project is to improve technical aspects of nonstructural system design in the areas that will have the largest impact for public safety and economic welfare with an emphasis on determining whether or not a disconnect exists between current design requirements and observed (or expected) performance of nonstructural building systems and components. Where significant gaps are identified, technical solutions are proposed. The project is being conducted in two phases. In the first phase, knowledge studies were performed looking at both the literature and the current state of practice. The goal of the first phase was to understand performance criteria objectives and measures and to prioritize potential areas for further study. In the second phase, focused studies are performed on the priority areas identified in the first phase. Summaries of the recently completed ATC-120 project knowledge study and workshop are presented. Recommendations for improving seismic analysis and design of nonstructural components and systems (NCSs) are discussed.

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