Experimental study on the Seism IC behavior of nonstructural components subjected to full-scale floor motions

Observations during past earthquakes have demonstrated the seismic vulnerability of nonstructural components and equipment with their expensive recovery and/or replacement costs. With the exception of the nuclear industry, the limited data collected form past earthquakes are not sufficient to completely characterize the seismic behavior of nonstructural components and develop effective mitigation measures. To address these limitations, the University at Buffalo's (UB-NEES) facility is commissioning a dedicated Nonstructural Component Simulator (UBNCS) composed of a two-level testing frame capable of simultaneously subjecting both displacement-sensitive and acceleration-sensitive nonstructural components to realistic full scale floor motions expected in typical multi-story buildings. In order to generate the necessary data to evaluate the seismic performance of nonstructural components and quantify their experimental seismic fragility, a dynamic testing protocol capable of replicating expected average absolute floor accelerations and inter-story drifts has been developed. This paper summarizes the criteria considered for the selection of the required UB-NCS servo-hydraulic equipment, the main characteristics of the UB-NCS testing facility and the criteria considered to generate an adequate dynamic testing protocol.