A Building-Specific Dynamic Loading Protocol for Experimental Tests on Nonstructural Elements

Experimental testing is a primary approach to understanding the seismic performance of nonstructural elements, the damage to which may claim tremendous loss during earthquakes. This paper proposed a standard dynamic loading protocol for experiments on acceleration-sensitive nonstructural elements. It is described by closed-form equations and matches the floor response spectrum of a specific building. An empirical phase angle is also proposed for bidirectional horizontal loading. The results of a trial shake table test on suspended ceilings show that the proposed protocol provides a promising tool to gain insight into the time-varying nature of the dynamic properties of suspended ceilings.