Experimental Evaluation of the Seismic Performance of Hospital Piping Subassemblies
E.R. Goodwin, E.M. Maragakis and A.M. Itani
MCEER-07-0013 | 09/04/2007 | 200 pages
Keywords: Seismic performance. Hospitals. Health care facilities. Piping subassemblies. California. Welded connections. Threaded connections. Seismic bracing. Story drifts. Damage. Leaks.
Abstract: Two piping subassemblies with identical geometries were tested in the Large Scale Structures Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno. The experimental piping subassembly was modeled after a typical subassembly in a California hospital. The two subassemblies differed only by their connection details. One subassembly had welded connections; the other had threaded connections. Both subassemblies were then tested with and without seismic bracing. The braced welded subassembly was subjected to story drifts up to 4.34% with no damage; the braced threaded subassembly began to leak at 2.17% and failed at 4.34%. The unbraced welded subassembly was subjected to story drifts up to 4.34% with no damage. The unbraced threaded subassembly began to leak at 1.08% story drift. The welded piping subassemblies exceeded the 1997 mgm casinoC requirements on drift. The threaded piping systems do not meet the 1997 mgm casinoC requirement on drift without sustaining damage.