Seismic Evaluation of Drywall Suspended Ceilings Using Shake Table Testing and the Finite Element Analysis

In the past U.S. earthquakes, lay-in panel suspended ceilings have suffered significant damage. However, there has been scant evidence of damage to the drywall suspended ceilings. Consistent with such observations, the building codes in the U.S. have specific prescribed design requirements for lay-in systems; however, for drywall systems the codes typically refer to engineers to verify the design. Drywall suspended ceilings have been damaged in past earthquakes in Japan and in the U.S., leading to the question of whether the U.S. code language is adequate for the drywall systems. To investigate the seismic response of drywall suspended ceilings, a broad study was recently completed. The study was comprised of: (1) examination of drywall systems in the U.S. and abroad, (2) shake table testing of suspended drywall system, (3) static tests of the key components of the drywall system, and (4) finite element analysis of a drywall system. The investigation revealed that the drywall suspended ceiling systems are more robust that the lay-in panel units and thus can sustain much larger seismic event prior to experiencing damage.