Page 55 - EQTips_Eng

IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 27

How can Non-structural Elements be protected against Earthquakes? page 2
Three strategies are adopted for design of NSEs in
a building and their connections with SEs, namely:
(i) Non-Engineered Strategy: generic NSEs (e.g., glass Electric Motor

bottles on shelves, and crockery) cannot be F eq
W
individually secured, but can be protected with Anchor
simple strategies (e.g., hold-back strings) (Figure 2); (a)
(ii) Prescriptive Strategy: factory-made, reasonably large

NSEs (e.g., cupboards, refrigerators, laboratory
equipment and large panel glass windows) often Un-deformed
Glass Panel
have manufacturer prescribed protection or

anchorage details provided at the time of purchase
(Figure 3), and Glass
(iii)Engineered Design Strategy: large, specialised, Panel

massive NSEs (e.g., cooling plant of central air- Deformed
conditioning systems, billboards) and those whose Building
(b)
failure can be critical (e.g., fire hydrant pipes
running along building height) require formal

design calculations for protecting them (Figure 4). Figure 4: Engineered approach for earthquake

protection of NSEs (a) force design for stiff &
massive NSEs, and (b) relative displacement

design for flexible & slender NSEs.

Front Panel

String

NSE NSE Shaking

Floor Shaking

Front
Panel
Plate
Ground Shaking

String

Vertical Spacer Figure 5: NSE shaking different from ground
Figure 2: Non-Engineered approach for
shaking – shaking at NSE can be more severe
earthquake protection of NSEs: small NSEs and different in characteristics
that cannot be anchored individually

Related - Earthquake Tip
Tip 23: Why are buildings with shear walls preferred in seismic
regions?

Arnold & Reitherman, 1982 Resource Material
FEMA E-74, (2011), Reducing the Risks of Non-structural Earthquake
Tie Adapted from:
Damage – A Practical Guide, Applied Technology Council, USA
Mondal,G., and Jain,S.K., (2005), “Design of Non-Structural
Elements for Buildings: A review of codal provisions,” August
(a) (b) 2005; and “Proposed Draft for IS:1893 on Design of Non-
Structural Elements,” October 2005, The Indian Concrete Journal,
Figure 3: Prescriptive (engineered) approach for ACC Limited, Thane, India

earthquake protection of NSEs – (a) Tie it to

SE, (b) Bolt it to SE. Authored by:
C.V.R.Murty

NSEs located in upper levels of buildings and their Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, India
connections to SEs must be designed for shaking Sponsored by:
expected at those floor levels (Figure 5); this floor Building Materials and Technology Promotion
shaking can be different and even of higher intensity Council, New Delhi, India
than the shaking at the ground level. Hence, NSEs that
project vertically or horizontally from buildings at the This release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC. It may
upper elevations needs special attention. Some be reproduced without changing its contents with due
acknowledgement. Suggestions or comments may be sent
countries (e.g., USA) have provisions for engineered to: nicee@iitk.ac.in. To see all IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips, visit
design of NSEs and their connections with SEs. www.nicee.org or www.bmtpc.org.