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Chapter C13
SEISMIC DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR NONSTRUCTURAL COMPONENTS
C13.0 SEISMIC DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR
NONSTRUCTURAL COMPONENTS
In Section 13.5.1 of ASCE 7-05, nonstructural components sup-
ported by chains or otherwise suspended from the structure are
exempt from lateral bracing requirements, provided they are de-
signed not to inflict damage to themselves or any other component
when subject to seismic motion. However, for the 2005 edition,
it has been determined that clarifications are needed on the type
of nonstructural components allowed by these exceptions and the
acceptable consequences of interaction between components. In
ASCE 7-02, certain nonstructural components that could repre-
sent a fire hazard following an earthquake are exempted from
meeting the Section 9.6.1 requirements. For example, gas-fired
space heaters clearly pose a fire hazard following an earthquake,
but are permitted to be exempted from the Section 9.6.1 require-
ments. The fire hazard following the seismic event must be given
the same level of consideration as the structural failure hazard
when considering components to be covered by this exception. In
addition, the ASCE 7-02 language is sometimes overly restrictive
because it did not distinguish between credible seismic interac-
tions and incidental interactions. In ASCE 7-02, if a suspended
lighting fixture could hit a sheet metal duct and dent a sheet metal
duct, it would have to be braced, although no credible danger is
created by the impact. The new reference in Section 13.2.3 0f
ASCE 7-05 allows the designer to consider whether the failures
of the component and/or the adjacent components are likely to
occur if contact is made.
C13.3.2 Seismic Relative Displacements. The design of some
nonstructural components that span vertically in the structure can
be complicated when supports for the element do not occur at
horizontal diaphragms. The language in Section 13.3.2 was pre-
viously amended to clarify that story drift must be accommodated
Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures
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in the elements that will actually distort. For example, a glazing
system supported by precast concrete spandrels must be designed
to accommodate the full story drift, even though the height of
the glazing system is only a fraction of the floor-to-floor height.
This condition arises because the precast spandrels will behave
as rigid bodies relative to the glazing system and therefore all the
drift must be accommodated by anchorage of the glazing unit, the
joint between the precast spandrel and the glazing unit, or some
combination of the two.
C13.5.9 Glass in Glazed Curtain Walls, Glazed Storefronts,
and Glazed Partitions. The 2000 National Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Program (NEHRP) Provisions contain seismic design
provisions for glazing systems. For ASCE 7, it was found that
clarity of the provisions could be improved by reformatting the
equations.
C13.6 MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL
COMPONENTS
The revisions to Table 13.6-1 are the result of work done in re-
cent years to better understand the performance of mechanical
and electrical components and their attachment to the structure.
The primary concepts of flexible and rigid equipment, ductile and
rugged behavior are drawn from the Structural Engineers Asso-
ciation of California, Recommended Lateral Force Requirements
and Commentary, 1999 Edition, Commentary Section C107.1.7.
Material on HVAC is based on The American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. publication A
Practical Guide to Seismic Restraint, RP-812, 1999. Other ma-
terial on industrial piping, boilers, and pressure vessels is based
on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Codes and
Standards publications.
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