2.4.2 NONSTRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
Nonstructural systems are separate from structural systems and a clear distinction is made in the building codes and standards . These applications may involve suspended ceilings , conduit attachments , mechanical , plumbing , electrical and communications equipment , doors , windows , wood sill plates , cold-formed steel track attachments , architectural components and other applications that are not part of the structural systems .
Additional seismic research is being conducted to evaluate the performance of power-actuated fasteners in both structural and nonstructural applications . In 2012 , the University of California San Diego ( UCSD ) Building Nonstructural Component and System ( BNCS ) seismic research project sponsored by the National Science Foundation ( NSF ) and Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation ( NEES ) involved the use of power-actuated fasteners for many common nonstructural applications including lay-in acoustical ceilings , cold-formed steel interior partition walls , exterior balloon framing walls and electrical conduit attachments . The initial results are promising and provide additional confirmation that power-actuated fasteners are reliable attachment methods for these typical applications in seismic events . Further research is being conducted by Hilti to extend the load capacities and applications of power-actuated fastenings in steel base materials as part of diaphragms , shear walls and nonstructural component fastenings .
ASCE 7-10 Minimum Design Loads for Building and Other Structures , which is referenced in the IBC 2015 and 2018 , clarified language pertaining to the use of power-actuated fasteners for nonstructural component fastenings including suspended ceilings and distributed systems . A distributed system includes multiple fastening points for redundancy and load distribution across linear or grid like arrangements of fasteners . ASCE 7-10 Section 13.4.5 further establishes conservative baseline limiting load capacities for poweractuated fasteners at 90 lb ( 400 N ) for concrete base materials and 250 lb ( 1,112 N ) for steel base materials in typical applications , unless otherwise tested and approved for other load capacities . This clarified language pertaining to poweractuated fastening applications in all seismic design categories , including use as part of distributed systems in higher Seismic Design Categories D through F , is incorporated into the latest ICC-ES AC70 Acceptance Criteria for Fasteners Power-Driven into Concrete , Steel and Masonry Elements . In addition , ICC-ES AC70 Annex A provides testing and acceptance criteria for power-driven fasteners in steel base materials to allow development of allowable load values greater than 250 lb ( 1,112 N ). All Hilti power-driven fasteners intended for steel applications have been successfully tested per the ICC-ES AC70 Annex A seismic testing requirements . Reference Hilti power-actuated fastener evaluation reports ESR-2269 , ESR-1663 , ESR-1752 , ESR-2347 and ESR-2795 for more detailed information .
In 2012 , AISI also established design provisions for power-actuated fastenings in steel base materials and these are now codified in Section J5 of AISI S100 . These provisions formally recognize power-actuated fasteners consistent with an extensive historical use in cold-formed steel framing applications and provide a rational basis for the determination of safety and resistance factors consistent with screws , bolts and welds . The development of LRFD and LSD design provisions with the corresponding safety and resistance factors for steel fastenings is a significant development for power-actuated fastening technology in North America , as previously , only ASD design was used based on a minimum safety factor of 5:1 . The data contained herein this Product Technical Guide is still presented in the traditional ASD format for steel base materials , with the ICC-ES AC70 minimum safety factor of 5:1 applied , but alternative safety and resistance factors are provided in the AISI S100 specification for a more optimized and statistically justified design approach .
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