autocad drawings of precast concrete cladding panels for - NEES

Figure 1: (Left) The structural system of the building used to test the nonstructural components (Right) the same buildingwith addition of the cladding panels (Drawn by Steve Mintz)Literature ReviewEngineers design the main frame of the structure. During the design process, differentloads are considered for design, including nonstructural components. Although loadsare considered for design, the main focus is ensuring that the structure will not collapsedue to gravity or lateral loads. Nonstructural components in the past were not designedfor moving forces like earthquakes. Examples of nonstructural components are pipingsystems which are used to transport water to different levels of the building, heatingventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems which are used regulating temperaturesin different rooms, and lighting fixtures that provide light to the building.When an earthquake occurs, the frame of the building moves side to side and causesan inertial force to act on the components. This force is similar to when one is in amoving vehicle that one’s body feels the force when the car accelerates and brakes(FEMA, 2005). Damage can occur to the nonstructural components during anearthquake when poor connections are made to the main structure. Figure 2 shows thedamage from the non structural components after the Northridge earthquake of 1994.Studs separated and caused the ceiling to collapse to the floor (FEMA, 2011).Concrete cladding panels can cause damage and in the past century, they have alsocaused deaths during earthquakes. Figure 3 shows the cladding panels at the JCPenney’s store that fell off the structure during the 1964 Alaska earthquake and causedtwo deaths (Arnold, 2009)..2 | P a g e