The fragility curves of nonstructural components in hospital buildings

Building code requires hospitals to be the type 1 building in order to raise the seismic-resistant capacity of hospital building in Taiwan. But nonstructural components were never taken into account in the design in general. Hence, the damage of nonstructural components resulting in interruption of emergency medical care can happen when hospitals experience a larger seismic intensity scale. In this study, the authors investigated hospital buildings in the Chi-Chi earthquake with damaged nonstructural components by means of questionnaire, and examined the relationship between damage levels and probability expressed with fragility curves. After classifying damage states of each nonstructural component listed in questionnaire sheets into minor, moderate, and severe damage level, component damage ratios were computed. Finally, fragility curves for 26 nonstructure items grouped in 3 categories are developed for future applications.