Seismic Fragility Study of Displacement Demand on Fire Sprinkler Piping Systems

Seismic damage to fire sprinkler piping systems is not only caused by inertial forces or interstory drifts, but also by impact with surrounding objects. The collision of constituents of piping systems with nearby objects increases the chance of damage to the piping itself and to adjacent objects. In this study, the probability of seismic damage to fire sprinkler systems due to impact is quantified by obtaining seismic fragility parameters for large diameter pipes passing through walls and floors, as well as small diameter pipes that typically interact with suspended ceilings. The results of two shaking table experiments conducted at the University of Nevada, Reno and E-Defense test facility, and a high-fidelity numerical model of a hospital piping system are used to evaluate the displacement demands. Piping interaction fragility curves are generated based on clearances between adjacent objects and pipes. The probability of piping interactions and damage to piping systems subjected to different levels of p...