PSI - Issue 78

Gennaro Magliulo et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 78 (2026) 1847–1854

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adoption of the protocol developed within the ENRICH project could represent an important step toward a tangible improvement in the seismic safety of non-structural elements in strategic buildings, such as healthcare facilities, with positive implications for infrastructure resilience and post-event cost reduction. Further details are available in the article by D’Angela et al., 2023. 3.2. Advanced Experimental Procedure for the Seismic Response Assessment of Nonstructural Elements: Testing Strategies and Application Results The ENRICH project developed an innovative experimental procedure to objectively and repeatably evaluate the seismic behavior of the most representative non-structural elements in healthcare facilities. The methodology involves two types of dynamic tests: out-of-plane tests, which apply accelerations perpendicular to the element’s plane to analyze its response to transverse oscillations, and in-plane tests with progressive deformations to assess strength and deformability up to increasing damage thresholds. Each test is performed individually to isolate the specific behavior of the component, measuring two key parameters: maximum acceleration and maximum relative displacement. These parameters are associated with three damage states (DS1-minor, DS2-moderate, and DS3- severe), which define the severity of damage based on the seismic demand. To support this evaluation framework, specific damage models have been developed for both prefabricated internal partition systems and lightweight ventilated or panel façades, as reported in the study by Coppola et al. (2024). In these models, for each component and each damage state, the typical damage mechanisms, triggering modes, and measurable thresholds of the EDP parameters indicating the attainment of the damage state have been identified. The experimental validation of the procedure was conducted through a testing campaign on three types of internal partition kits: one made of glass panels, one with a mixed glass-wood composition, and one entirely made of wood. The results, published in Coppola et al. (2024), demonstrated the procedure’s ability to accurately identify damage thresholds for each component, providing quantitative parameters useful for seismic qualification. Simultaneously, tests were carried out on lightweight façade systems, including a ventilated façade and a sandwich panel façade, with consistent outcomes that confirmed the validity and adaptability of the proposed experimental methodology. All tests were performed at the CNR-ITC testing facility in San Giuliano Milanese, equipped with advanced instrumentation and high-precision measurement systems. For more details, see the full article by Bonati et al. (2025). A further experimental study by Magliulo et al. (2025), also partially conducted within the ENRICH project, involved an innovative application related to the seismic assessment of a modular cleanroom. In this case, full-scale shake table tests were performed in accordance with the ICC-ES AC156 protocol, with the system tested under full operational conditions (Fig. 3). The results highlighted an extremely positive seismic performance: the cleanroom was able to maintain full operability even in the presence of floor accelerations exceeding those expected for high seismic hazard sites in Italy and Europe. Furthermore, it was observed that the acceleration value corresponding to the Life Safety Limit State (LSLS) for strategic buildings was lower than the maximum acceleration sustained during the tests, confirming the effectiveness of the adopted seismic design. These results demonstrate how the experimental procedure developed can represent a valuable tool for the seismic qualification of non-structural elements in hospital and healthcare settings, significantly contributing to the

improvement of infrastructure resilience and operational continuity in critical contexts. 4. Complex assessment of seismic capacity and safety level of nonstructural elements 4.1. Elements with rocking behavior and inelastic sdof systems: an integrated approach

This chapter proposes a structured and comprehensive approach aimed at defining methodological guidelines for assessing the seismic capacity and safety margins of non-structural elements, particularly those exhibiting rocking behavior (rotational oscillatory motion) or that can be idealized as single degree of freedom (SDOF) systems with inelastic behavior. The pursued objective is twofold: to fill the gaps identified in previous studies and to provide unique and consistent reference criteria applicable both to rocking rigid blocks and deformable systems, facilitating meaningful comparisons and transferability of results in real contexts (hospitals and strategic buildings).