Report Recommends Protocols for Testing Structural and Nonstructural Building Components
Interim Testing Protocols for Determining the Seismic Performance Characteristics of Structural and Nonstructural Components (pdf) , FEMA 461, is now available from the Applied Technology Council (ATC) . The report, a result of cooperative efforts between ATC, MCEER, Mid America Earthquake (MAE) Center and Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center, documents the interim recommended protocols that were developed for testing of structural and nonstructural components and systems found in buildings to establish their seismic performance characteristics. Two interim protocol types are provided:
- Interim Protocol I – Quasi-Static Cyclic Testing, which should be used to determine performance characteristics of components whose behavior is primarily controlled by the application of seismic forces or seismic-induced displacements
- Interim Protocol II – Shake Table Testing, which should be used to assess performance characteristics of components whose behavior is affected by the dynamic response of the component itself, or whose behavior is velocity sensitive, or sensitive to strain-rate effects
The document also presents an overview of performance-based seismic design and discussions on a variety of topics and issues germane to these protocols. A Commentary is provided for each protocol, and an appendix is included that describes the process used to develop nonstructural component fragility functions based on laboratory testing.
The report is part of the ATC-58 project, which began October 2001 with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security. The plan for development of the guidelines is defined in the companion FEMA 445 report, Next-Generation Performance-Based Seismic Design Guidelines, Program Plan for New and Existing Buildings (pdf), which was also prepared under the ATC-58 project and published by FEMA in 2006.
