Experimental Evaluation of the In-Plane Seismic Behavior of Storefront Window Systems

Abstract

Storefront window systems have been shown to suffer significant damage during earthquake loading, resulting in the potential for human injuries and significant economic losses. Despite the potential for film-coated windows to minimize seismic-induced damage to window systems, limited study has been undertaken. Furthermore, no thorough study of the effects of loading histories on window system performance has been performed to-date. Finally, previous studies have been limited in terms of their variation of window system geometry. In this work, three variables of interest were studied through in-plane seismic racking experiments of storefront window systems, namely: (i) loading protocol, (ii) window film type and attachment, and (iii) aspect ratio. This paper presents the overall experimental program, the identified damage modes and associated drift limits, and trends associated with variation of the window film and aspect ratio. A companion paper in this issue (Hutchinson et. al. 2011) summarizes studies of the effects of load protocol.