Simplified analytical modeling of a suspended ceiling system

Nonstructural components, also known as architectural systems, are in fact complex structural systems which support mostly their own weight and not the primary structural loads. However, these systems, which are not designed to sustain any loads, seem to have a high rate of failure during earthquakes. Current standards do not explicitly provide guidance for the seismic design of a suspended ceiling system, one of important nonstructural components in buildings, due to their complex construction. In order to understand the dynamic behavior of a suspended ceiling system, full scale shake table tests experiments of 20ft. × 50ft. and 20ft. × 20ft. ceiling systems were conducted at University at Buffalo and failure modes were identified. Several simplified uniaxial analytical models are developed in order to track the special behavior of systems, based on the observed failure mechanisms and on the physical properties of a ceiling structure, several simplified uniaxial analytical models are developed in order to track the special behavior of systems. The analytical results using such models are compared with experimental responses and show reasonable agreements. This paper focuses on the development of unidirectional simplified analytical models that are able to capture general dynamic behavior of a ceiling system. Such models can be used as simple computational tools to predict the dynamic responses and the design forces required for achieving a safe ceiling construction within the expected seismic ranges. The analytical results using such simplified models are compared with experimental responses and show reasonable agreement. Using the experimentally verified models, it is possible to design better and more resilient systems. Several examples will show possible changes to the standard design that make ceiling safer and more efficient.