non structural Components and Nonbuilding Structures

Mohammed Zaid
Posted on : 28 Mar 2017

Nonstructural Components

Traditionally, nonstructural components have been identified as architectural, mechanical and electrical components found in buildings. Prior to the International Building Code (IBC), the focus had been on the design of anchorage and bracing of these components and not the components themselves.
The components had been treated as “black boxes” and whatever was inside the boxes was not required to be designed for seismic loads. Exceptions to this approach were items such as towers on tops of buildings (radio and cell towers), heavy cladding, battery racks, billboards and signage attached to buildings.
Since the 2000 IBC, when components were determined to have an importance factor of 1.5, they generally needed to be designed or qualified to resist the effects of seismic forces. Current IBC seismic requirements for anchorage and bracing of nonstructural components are given in American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7-05, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, Chapter 13.

Nonbuilding Structures

Nonbuilding structures are self-supporting structures other than buildings that carry gravity loads and resist the effects of earthquakes. The concept of providing specific seismic design requirements for nonbuilding structures was first introduced into the model codes in the 1988 Uniform Building Code. The most current seismic design requirements for nonbuilding structures are given in ASCE 7-05 Chapter 15.
There are two types of nonbuilding structures. One type has a structural system similar to buildings, and the other type has a structural system that is not similar to buildings. This article pertains to nonbuilding structures which are not similar to buildings and focuses on the determination of when the design rules of ASCE 7-05 Chapter 15 or ASCE 7-05 Chapter 13 apply.

Note that most, if not all, nonbuilding structures support attached nonstructural components of some type.
One item of interest not shown is skid-mounted equipment modules (to be addressed later.)

 

 

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