Seismic force demands on acceleration-sensitive nonstructural components:a state-of-the-art review

Nonstructural components(NSCs)are parts,elements,and subsystems that are not part of the primary loadbearing system of building structures but are subject to seismic loading.Damage to NSCs may disrupt the functionality of buildings and result in significant economic losses,injuries,and casualties.In past decades,extensive studies have been conducted on the seismic performance and seismic design methods of NSCs.As the input for the seismic design of NSCs,floor response spectra(FRS)have attracted the attention of researchers worldwide.This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of FRS.Different methods for generating FRS are summarized and compared with those in current seismic design codes.A detailed review of the parameters influencing the FRS is presented.These parameters include the characteristics of ground motion excitation,supporting building and NSCs.The floor acceleration response and the FRS obtained from experimental studies and field observations during earthquakes are also discussed.Three RC frames are used in a case study to compare the peak floor acceleration(PFA)and FRS calculated from time history analyses(THA)with that generated using current seismic design codes and different methods in the literature.Major knowledge gaps are identified,including uncertainties associated with developing FRS,FRS generation methods for different types of buildings,the need for comprehensive studies on absolute acceleration,relative velocity,and relative displacement FRS,and the calibration of FRS by field observations during earthquakes.

Performance-based seismic design of nonstructural building components:The next frontier of earthquake engineering

With the development and implementation of performance-based earthquake engineering,harmonization of performance levels between structural and nonstructural components becomes vital. Even if the structural components of a building achieve a continuous or immediate occupancy performance level after a seismic event,failure of architectural,mechanical or electrical components can lower the performance level of the entire building system. This reduction in performance caused by the vulnerability of nonstructural components has been observed during recent earthquakes worldwide. Moreover,nonstructural damage has limited the functionality of critical facilities,such as hospitals,following major seismic events. The investment in nonstructural components and building contents is far greater than that of structural components and framing. Therefore,it is not surprising that in many past earthquakes,losses from damage to nonstructural components have exceeded losses from structural damage. Furthermore,the failure of nonstructural components can become a safety hazard or can hamper the safe movement of occupants evacuating buildings,or of rescue workers entering buildings. In comparison to structural components and systems,there is relatively limited information on the seismic design of nonstructural components. Basic research work in this area has been sparse,and the available codes and guidelines are usually,for the most part,based on past experiences,engineering judgment and intuition,rather than on objective experimental and analytical results. Often,design engineers are forced to start almost from square one after each earthquake event: to observe what went wrong and to try to prevent repetitions. This is a consequence of the empirical nature of current seismic regulations and guidelines for nonstructural components. This review paper summarizes current knowledge on the seismic design and analysis of nonstructural building components,identifying major knowledge gaps that will need to be filled by future research. Furthermore,considering recent trends in earthquake engineering,the paper explores how performance-based seismic design might be conceived for nonstructural components,drawing on recent developments made in the field of seismic design and hinting at the specific considerations required for nonstructural components.