Seismic Evaluation and Simplified Methodology of Fragility Analysis for Fire Protection Sprinkler Piping Systems in Hospitals
Date Issued
2016
Date
2016
Author(s)
Yeh, Chang-Chen
Abstract
Based on the popularization of performance design concepts for structures of critical building (e.g. hospitals and schools) in recent years, non-structural seismic damages (e.g. sprinkler piping systems) are more common than structural ones. Fire protection sprinkler systems plays important roles to prevent fire disasters and ensure occupant safety.However, failure of fire protection sprinkler system will result in not only threat to occupant safety but also the shut down of medical function and relating expense on repairing. Therefore, an accurate assessment method to evaluate the seismic ability of fire protection system is necessary. The common seismic failures resulted from fire protection sprinkler systems are impact damages of ceiling boards, leakages of 1″threaded joints and breaks of hangers. In order to understand the seismic ability of components mentioned above, this research propose several assessment methods and take NTU Hospital Yunlin branch as an example to conduct the fragility analysis of the component in fire protection sprinkler system. The main results are briefly described below: 1. Performance design method for piping systems: Referring to FEMA P58[1], only when building structures are judged as reparable will assessment of sprinkler piping be meaningful. Therefore, in this study, seismic performance of sprinkler piping will be evaluated only when the structure is reparable. 2. In order to investigate the effects of characteristics of input motion on the fragility analysis of piping systems, a nonlinear numerical model was established using MIDAS software for the RC structure of the example hospital building. 3. A detailed numerical model of the horizontal sprinkler piping system was established using SAP2000 software to simulate nonlinear behaviors of hangers and the nonlinear relationship between piping and ceiling systems or partition walls (Method A). The fragility parameters of three seismic performance of piping system were than obtained through incremental dynamic analyses. 4. According to the dynamic characteristics of the sprinkler piping system, a partial detailed analysis method (Method B) and a simplified assessment method (Method C) are proposed in this study. Comparing to the result of Method A, the one of Method B is more conservative but through a more efficient process. Method C is provided to be engineers an additional choice that a rapid but rough judgment in the seismic performances of sprinkler piping systems can be made based on in-situ observations and the floor response spectrum. The fragility results of Method C are very close to those of Method B in terms of median values but are with quite low divergence.
Subjects
fire protection sprinker system
ceiling
threaded joint
hanger
fragility curve
detailed analysis
partial detailed analysis
simplified assessment
Type
thesis
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