Anchorage and Bracing of Equipment and Mechanical Systems

Fire Protection Research Foundation report: "Anchorage and Bracing of Equipment and Mechanical Systems - Compilation of Available Guidance"
Author: Minkyu Lee, Fire Protection Research Foundation
Date of issue: October 2012

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"Anchorage and Bracing of Equipment and Mechanical Systems" (PDF, 247 KB)

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Introduction and Background
There is range of equipment and mechanical systems in buildings that are vulnerable to seismic damage. The failure of fire protection systems; the release of fire protection agents, fire protection liquids, or flammable or combustible liquids or gases; and the creation of fire hazards are all forms of property damage which can occur during an earthquake. Equipment damage mitigation strategies include the provision of restraint, for example anchors and bracing systems, or other design details such as flexible joints.

Vulnerable equipment types include sprinkler systems, combustible liquid systems, piping, electrical equipment, and mechanical equipment. Each of these types has unique requirements for installation of seismic bracing, anchors, and specific methods for protecting equipment from earthquake damage. The goal of this project was to identify and compile available guidance in the literature into a readily accessible form. Note that this is not a complete list of references; however an attempt was made to identify those readily available publications of most relevance to the topic.