Seismic performance of non-structural elements assessed through shake table tests: The knowRISK room set-up

Abstract

In the scope of the KnowRISK research project a set of tests were carried out on the LNEC-3D shake table in order to assess the seismic performance of several non-structural elements and building contents. The aim was to create a room that was as realistic as possible, not only in terms of spatial arrangement but also in terms of furniture and decorative objects. This would allow the presence of daily-life objects and furniture that can represent hazard inside regular homes during an earthquake. Damages were observed with increasing intensity seismic motions. In some of the tests different non-structural protective measures were implemented in order to observe how they mitigate the damage. Videos of the entire set-up were recorded during the tests, for the KnowRISK interventions, and accelerations were measured in a wardrobe and a bookcase. This allowed to obtain qualitative as well as quantitative data about the objects’ seismic performance.