Experimental Seismic Fragility of Cold-Formed Steel Framed Gypsum Partition Walls

As part of the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research (NEESR)-Grand Challenge Project Simulation of the Seismic Performance of Nonstructural Systems, an experimental program was carried out to evaluate the seismic responses, failure mechanisms, and fragilities of cold-formed steel framed gypsum partition walls. Understanding the seismic behavior of building interior partition walls is important because damage to these nonstructural components can initiate at relatively low story drift levels, potentially degrading the overall functionality of the building and contributing toward earthquake economic losses. To this end, in-plane quasi-static and dynamic tests were conducted on 36 partition walls constructed using common construction details. Variables examined on the 16 configurations tested include framing thicknesses, stud connections to top and bottom tracks, wall intersection details, and partial height walls among others. In addition, new details are proposed to increase the drift demands at which damage is first observed and to minimize the propagation of damage through the wall. The failure mechanisms observed for the different wall configurations are reported and a seismic fragility database for groups of partitions dependent on the construction details is generated. Fragility functions are provided for three distinct damage states based on the level of repair required for the partition wall. The resulting fragility database partially fills a critical need to more accurately estimate nonstructural damage and consequential losses in buildings during earthquakes.