Shaking table test method of building curtain walls using floor capacity demand diagrams

Abstract

Seismic demands of a curtain wall (CW) relate to the floor response of the main structure. These demands include both acceleration and deformation. Floor capacity spectrum combines these demands into one acceleration-displacement response spectrum (ADRS) representing the CW as a single degree of freedom system. The in-plane (IP) load–displacement relationship can be transformed to the acceleration-displacement format (capacity curve) of the ADRS. The intersection of the capacity curve and the ADRS is the performance point (PP) of the CW system. Another way to determine the PP is through the floor response analysis of the main structure where the pairs of acceleration and displacement demands form the demand PPs. In shaking table testing of the CW system, the two coordinates of the PP can be simulated by applying the IP deformation with a specially designed loading frame, then exciting the test specimen by the shaking table in the out-of-plane direction. PPs are accurately reproduced and the seismic performance of the CW system is evaluated. The applicability and reliability of this novel shaking table test method are discussed in this paper.