Fragility Analysis of Suspended Ceiling Systems in a Full-Scale Experiment

Abstract

The seismic performance of nonstructural components, including suspended ceiling systems, plays a significant role during and after an earthquake. Damage to these systems can leave buildings inoperable, causing economic losses and extensive downtime. Therefore, it is necessary to better understand the response of these systems in order to enhance the seismic resilience of buildings. A series of full-scale system-level experiments conducted at the University of Nevada, Reno, Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation site aimed to investigate the seismic performance of integrated ceiling-piping-partition systems. In this paper, the seismic behavior of suspended ceiling systems is discussed. Experimental results include acceleration amplification factors for different ceiling configurations. In addition, fragility curves are presented for perimeter displacement, support axial force, and overall ceiling performance. Some major findings from this experiment show that the median acceleration amplification was 2.71 and that unseating of grid members in 22.2-mm (7/8-in.) wall angle configurations was one of the dominate failure modes.