Compliance with the seismic design requirements is the responsibility of engineers, architects, designers, building certifiers, manufacturers, installers, and builders. The design of suspended ceilings will require a structural assessment unique to every project.
Seismic design criteria must be taken into consideration when designing all elements within the building, and design engineers are obligated to make allowance for this in their designs. Additional costs for seismic design consideration may be significant so it’s essential that contractors know exactly what the requirements are.
There are several standards and guidelines that govern seismic design in Australia.
Studworks Seismic suspended ceiling system used in a sports facility in Mornington, Victoria.
In certain buildings, ceilings and facades constructed from light gauge steel framing systems need to be designed to resist seismic loads during earthquake events. The intent of seismic design is to minimise risk to life and reduce damage to the structure.
Buildings are assessed according to their “Level of Importance” (LOI). The LOI determines the seismic design requirements of a building depending on its occupancy levels, hazard to life and the function of the building within the community or broader. Factors such as room size, height of the building, ceiling mass and dynamic acceleration, will influence the final design pathway taken to achieve seismic compliance.
AS/NZS 2785 was updated in 2020 and provides the minimum specifications covering the manufacture and performance of suspended ceilings systems for use in residential, commercial, and industrial applications:
• Designs can be used in fire rated and non-fire rated applications.
• Technical support is available from the design stage to installation.
• Independently tested.
Various Types of seismic design for different requirements and room sizes:
Our seismic solutions have been developed through analysis and component level testing. Studworks provide seismic engineering to ensure your installation meets the necessary design criteria.
Seismic design guidance provided by Studworks may be used to achieve a compliant design. The guidance must be certified to comply with the requirements of the Building Code by a suitably qualified Professional Engineer. Design advice typically provides a solution to calculate seismically resilient non-structural elements for the type of ceiling being considered.
More complex projects will require a specific design, which will be conducted by an experienced and suitably qualified seismic engineer. A suspended ceiling may require a specific design for the following reasons:
Typically used for smaller rooms and corridors. Perimeter-fixed ceilings are suspended using vertical suspension rod and laterally restrained by anchoring the edges of the ceiling to the surrounding wall, frame, or other structural element. Ceilings of this type are not normally braced.
A perimeter-fixed ceiling should be anchored at the ends of two adjacent edges of the ceiling grid, maintaining a 10–15 mm sliding clearance at the opposite edges. The free ends must be able to move (slide) against the wall but still be sufficiently restrained to prevent ceiling collapsing. This is typically achieved with a channel moulding or proprietary fixing.
If perimeter fixing is insufficient for the seismic demand, the ceiling must be restrained to the structure using bracing to the underside of the floor above to provide lateral restraint. They are not connected to the perimeter wall or frame.
The gap between the ceiling and the surrounding wall must be sufficiently large that the ceiling is not damaged by impacts against the wall during a seismic event.
Vertical suspension may be provided using wire or cable hangers, or vertical struts constructed from angles or metal studs anchored to the ceiling grid and the building structure.
Lateral bracing in a floating ceiling can be provided by using rigid braces combined with vertical struts or a combination of these techniques. In a floating suspended ceiling, joints in the main tees should not be placed within 150mm of any vertical hanger, strut, or bracing connection point.
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