Publication

Abstract : Performance of a building under earthquake ground shaking effects depends on performance of both Structural Elements (SEs) and Nonstructural Elements (NSEs). In critical buildings (such as hospitals, fire station, and public administration buildings), NSEs should remain functional even after a major earthquake; damage should be minimized in NSEs for effective functioning of critical buildings. This can be achieved by designing NSEs to sustain the lateral force and/or lateral deformation effects imposed as a result of seismic actions. The focus of the current paper is to discuss the current philosophy of estimating these effects for the design of the connections of NSEs to SEs. The paper indicates potential areas where more research is needed to cover the gap areas or to reduce the uncertainties in known areas.