Seismic Design of Secondary Structures: State of the Art

Abstract

The developments in the last three decades in the area of seismic design of mechanical and electrical equipment, architectural components, as well as other secondary structures and nonstructural components attached to the floors, roof, and walls of buildings are reviewed here. A description is made of what constitutes a secondary structure, the characteristics that make these systems particularly susceptible to the effects of earthquakes, and the parameters that affect their response to earthquakes. The methods that have been proposed and are available to improve and simplify the analysis of this type of structure, the methods that are currently used as reflected by various building codes and seismic provisions, and the experimental studies and field observations carried out to further investigate some of their dynamic properties and response characteristics are also reviewed here. The paper closes with a summary of what research is still needed to advance current efforts to protect these systems against the effects of earthquakes and to develop methods and techniques to achieve this goal in a practical and economical way.