Experimental testing on nonstructural continuous plasterboard suspended ceiling systems under shake table-generated motions

Three different continuous plasterboard suspended ceiling systems were experimentally investigated through shake table-generated motions: (1) vertical strut ceiling system with all edges fixed, (2) vertical strut and lateral brace ceiling system with all edges free, and (3) vertical strut ceiling system with all edges free. Dynamic behavior and performance of these ceiling systems were evaluated to understand the effect of various boundary conditions and lateral force-resisting mechanisms at increasing intensity levels of input motion. All the ceiling systems performed well up to floor accelerations ranging from 1.4 to 1.6 g without any visible damage. However, under sinusoidal excitation at the natural frequency of the ceiling systems, the strut system with free boundaries proved vulnerable as it slipped from the perimeter channel leading to major damage. This suggests that the vertical strut system with free edges is vulnerable for multistory buildings located in any seismic zone due to its poor performance observed under large acceleration demands.

Automated summary

Three different continuous plasterboard suspended ceiling systems were experimentally investigated. All the systems performed well up to floor accelerations ranging from 1.4 to 1.6 g without any visible damage. However, the system with free edges proved vulnerable at the natural frequency and suffered major damage. Thus, the vertical strut system with free edges is not suitable for multistory buildings in any seismic zone.