QUANTIFICATION OF SEISMIC PERFORMANCE FACTORS FOR ELECTRICAL CABINET SYSTEMS

Seismic design provisions for non-structural elements (NSEs) are characterized by a highly empirical force-based approach. Simplified force-based design procedures are still specified nowadays in most modern seismic design provisions, which uses seismic performance factors (SPFs) to correlate the non-linear behaviour of non-structural systems to the results of elastic analyses commonly used by practitioners around the world. Unfortunately, in the case of NSEs, the vast majority of non-structural SPFs specified in seismic design provisions are based on engineering judgement, which makes the actual seismic performance of non-structural systems to be uncertain at best. This paper addresses the quantification/calibration of the SPFs (the behaviour factor q_a according to Eurocode 8, and an overstrength factor Ω_a for the design of the base attachments) for electrical cabinets, which is a typology of NSE that is of crucial importance for the continuous operation of facilities in charge of emergency management after a seismic event. Numerical models of electrical cabinets were built based on the results from a full-scale shake table experimental campaign. The performance evaluation was conducted through non-linear time-history analysis (NLTHA) using a set of synthetic floor accelerograms simulated to represent the expected seismic demand of a population of 100 code-compliant reinforced concrete frames assumed to be located in a medium-to-high seismicity zone in Europe. The resulting calibrated q_a factor is compared against that specified in Eurocode 8, and final recommendations are provided.