SEISMIC QUALIFICATION AND FRAGILITY TESTING OFSUSPENDED CEILING SYSTEMS

摘要

The failure of suspended ceiling systems (SCS) has been one of the most widely reported types ofnonstructural damage in past earthquakes. Fragility methods were used in this study to characterize thevulnerability of SCS. Since SCS are not amenable to traditional structural analysis, full-scale experimentaltesting on an earthquake simulator was performed to obtain fragility data. Several ceiling-systemconfigurations were studied. The results from the full-scale testing are presented in form of seismicfragility curves. Four limit states of response that cover most of the performance levels described in thecodes and guidelines for the seismic performance of nonstructural components were defined usingphysical definitions of damage. Data was obtained for every limit state to compare the effect of eachconfiguration on the response of the SCS. Based on the results of the experimental testing it was foundthat (a) the use of retainer clips generally improved the performance of SCS, (b) undersized (poorlyfitting) tiles are substantially more vulnerable than properly fitted tiles, (c) including recycled cross-tees inthe assemblage of the suspended grid increased the vulnerability of the SCS, and (d) includingcompression posts improves the seismic performance in SCS.