RESEARCH REVIEW ON SEISMIC PERFORMANCE OF SUSPENDED CEILING SYSTEMS

The post-earthquake damage of a ceiling system has an important effect on the buildings in normal usage and on the rapid recovery of functions, resulting in the severe economic loss. The research conducted on a seismic behavior study on the ceiling system is summarized from the aspects of experimental study, of numerical simulation and of vulnerability analysis. For the experimental study, a thorough review of the failure mode and of the dynamic response about the ceiling system under earthquake. Based on this, the studies on the effects of installation of compression posts, of the use of retainer clips, of the physical condition of grid components, of the tiles density and of the ceiling area on the ceiling system behavior under earthquake are summarized, and the reinforcement measures for the weak part of the ceiling system are introduced. For the numerical simulation, the different numerical models of the ceiling system and their parameter calibration methods are developed. For the vulnerability analysis, some issues are introduced involving the studies of vulnerability research methods and the selection of relevant indicators. The future imperative research for the improvement of the ceiling system seismic behavior are identified and presented. The results indicate that various problems about seismic behavior study of the ceiling system are needed to investigate as the parameter calibration of a numerical model, the study on key affecting factors and the establishment of a universal seismic grade. In addition, the study on the interaction between the ceiling with other non-structural components is also of a great significance to improve the theoretical system of seismic performance research of the ceiling system.