Experimental seismic response evaluation of suspended piping restraint installations

Observations from recent earthquakes have repeatedly demonstrated that damage to non-structural elements can significantly compromise the capacity of critical facilities to continue services during times of crises. Performance-based seismic design requires the harmonization of performances between structural and non-structural elements. Among the multitude of non-structural typologies, the seismic performance of piping systems is of paramount importance in order to guarantee the immediate post-event functionality of critical facilities. Few research studies are available in the literature that provide information on the seismic response of piping systems, and in particular of suspended piping restraint installations. This paper presents and discusses the results of an experimental program designed to evaluate the seismic behavior of suspended piping restraint installations. Four typologies of suspended piping restraint installations were tested under monotonic and reversed cyclic loading to determine their hysteretic responses and failure modes and to evaluate key response parameters.