Shaking-Table tests of idealized nonstructural component fastened with yielding elements

Damage of nonstructural components during an earthquake can impair the overall performance of a building through property damage, loss of functionality, and reduced occupant safety. Current Code provisions on the United States and elsewhere aim to minimize the threat to life safety by providing anchoring requirements for nonstructural components. These code requirements typically are based on a simplified equation that does not fully consider the contribution of the component attachment to the overall dynamic response of the component. Previous results from shaking-table tests of anchored components suggest that the component attachment is a key parameter that determines its dynamic properties. To evaluate this contribution, a nonstructural experimental model was attached to a concrete slab and tested on a shaking table with several attachment designs. The attachments were dimensioned based on a capacity design approach, such that they would be the weakest element in the force path while providing a yielding failure mechanism. The attachment designs provide different plastic mechanisms that control the displacement ductility in the response of the component. This paper focuses on the contribution of the attachment of the nonstructural component to the seismic force demand and the dynamic response. The experimental results suggest that the attachment properties govern the boundary conditions of the nonstructural component and that the use of attachments with increased ductility capacity does not necessarily result in reduced seismic loads.