Nonstructural Component Attachments to Concrete with Post-Installed Expansion Anchors

Earthquake damage to nonstructural components presents a life-safety risk for occupants and could introduce extensive financial losses and lead to extended downtime of the structure. Current code provisions specify lateral force demands and anchoring requirements aimed to limit the life safety hazard. The code demands are based on a simplified equation that accounts for some key parameters and does not fully consider the contribution of the component attachment. Similarly, most nonstructural numerical and experimental simulations include a fixed-based single-degree-of-freedom model, with nonlinear behavior incorporated within the component. Previous research suggests that the attachment design changes the boundary conditions and is an important parameter to determine the component dynamic properties. This paper presents an experimental test program of attachments connected to concrete with post-installed expansion anchors. The specimens were designed based on a shaking-table research program of generalized nonstructural components. The results illustrate the plastic mechanism and quantify the force-displacement relationships of the different attachment designs.