Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering

Special Issue on Seismic Performance of Non-Structural Elements in Buildings

The investment in non-structural elements and building contents is far greater than that of structural components and framing. Therefore, it is not surprising that in many past earthquakes, losses from damage to non-structural elements have exceeded losses from structural damage. Furthermore, the failure of nonstructural elements can become a safety hazard or can hamper the safe movement of occupants evacuating buildings, or of rescue workers entering buildings. In comparison to structural components and systems, there is relatively limited information on the seismic design of non-structural components. Recent studies in the seismic design, analysis, and evaluation of non-structural elements is starting to shed new light on the behaviour of these elements.

This special issue focuses on recent research on the Seismic Performance Of Non-Structural Elements (SPONSE) and aims to make these important results and findings available to the wider structural engineering community.

Guest Editors:

Timothy Sullivan, Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand (formally Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Pavia, 27100, Italy);

Andre Filiatrault, Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York Buffalo, NY 14260 USA

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