Access Floor Response Spectra for Equipment Line-Ups in Telecommunications Central Offices

by C. M. Wong, McMaster Univ, Hamilton, Canada,
W. K. Tso, McMaster Univ, Hamilton, Canada,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Lifeline Earthquake Engineering

Abstract:

Modern telecommunications central offices very often utilize access floors to support equipment line-ups. An analytical study was carried out to study the seismic response of equipment line-ups supported on access floors and to develop access floor response spectra. In the study, the combined equipment-access floor system was represented by a 2DOF model. A parametric study was carried out to provide insight on the dynamic characteristics of the model parametric study was carried out to provide insight on the dynamic characteristics of the model and the interaction of the equipment and the access floor. The seismic response of the model was studied using an ensemble of five acceleration time histories as input. These time histories were compatible with the NEBS floor response spectra which describe the upper bound earthquake-induced floor motion for telecommunications equipment in central offices. The result of the study indicated that the dynamic response of equipment line-ups can be amplified significantly by an access floor. As a results, the NEBS spectra are in general not adequate to describe the shaking environment for equipment line-ups on access floors. Finally, recommendations are made to modify the NEBS spectra in order to accommodate the increase in shaking caused by access floors.

Subject Headings: Floors | Equipment and machinery | Communication systems | Response spectra | Earthquakes | Seismic tests | Seismic effects

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