Il giorno 16 aprile 2015 alle ore 15.00 presso l’aula 11B della Facoltà di Architettura, sede
Valle Giulia, via Antonio Gramsci 53, si terrà il seminario

Andrea Lucchini
Estimation of seismic demand in buildings’ nonstructural components
 
Nel seguito è riportato il relativo sommario. 
Gli interessati sono invitati a partecipare.
 
prof. Danilo Capecchi        prof. Achille Paolone

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ESTIMATION OF SEISMIC DEMAND IN BUILDINGS’ NONSTRUCTURAL COMPONENTS
 
Andrea Lucchini
 
Nonstructural components are those elements of the building that are supported by the
structure and that are designed not to contribute to the carrying of gravity or lateral loads.
They  are usually divided into architectural components (e.g., ceilings, partitions and
paneling), and building utility systems  (e.g., mechanical and electrical equipment such as
elevators and solar panels).  These components make up for  a large portion of the
replacement cost  in  earthquake-damaged  buildings. Frequently, in fact,  they  sustain more
severe damage than the  supporting  structure.  In addition, severe damage to nonstructural
components can increase the risk of fatal injury to the occupants of the building. Reducing
seismic damage to these elements is fundamental not only for economic reasons, but also for
the maintenance of the functionality of the building immediately after the earthquake. Based
on these considerations, it is evident how important it is to accurately evaluate the response
of nonstructural components to earthquake excitation.
This presentation discusses the results of three studies carried on specific topics dealing with
the seismic response analysis of nonstructural components. First,  the  results of a study  that
focused on the effects of structural nonlinear behavior on floor response spectra will be
shown. The  study examined how floor response  spectra vary with  the level of post-elastic
behavior in reinforced concrete  structures. Buildings  characterized by  different number of
stories and masonry infill wall  configurations  were investigated. The effect of damping
modeling assumptions was investigated. On the basis of the obtained results, the adequacy of
basic assumptions used in predictive equations proposed by different seismic codes will be
discussed.  The second study deals with the development of  probabilistic models  for the
seismic demand prediction of nonstructural components. In particular, in this study intensity
measures commonly used to predict structural response were evaluated with respect to their
capability to predict floor response spectra as well. Finally, the results of a study focusing on
issues related to the estimation and use of a multivariate seismic demand model  for  the
prediction of both drift and floor acceleration spectra will be shown.  In addition, a method
developed to generate realistic realizations of floor response spectra based on few parameters
derived from a full probabilistic seismic demand model will be discussed. Results of ongoing
research on  the use of the uncoupled modal response history analysis in the probabilistic
seismic response assessment of building nonstructural components will be also presented.