The Nonstructural Element Database (NED) aggregates experimental and field performance data for ceilings, piping, façades, elevators, and other systems that govern downtime in modern buildings. Records ingest measurements from experimental programs since 2010s, FEMA P-58 background documentation, and reconnaissance observations so that researchers can compare detailing, demand parameters, and observed limit states within a unified schema.
Key features include:
- Component-specific hierarchical information (detail, material, and size classes) tied to experiment measurements.
- Open-source, SQL-based relational database.
- Fragility functions that feed into resilience frameworks, enabling estimation of functional recovery metrics (repair time and cost).
NED supports development of new fragility functions for wide range of nonstructural elements through a centralized source with traceable knowledge .
Funding: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Publications
Journal Articles
(J11)
Conference Papers
(C28)
(2026, September). FEMA P-58 Assessment of a 10-story Shake Table Tested Cold-formed Steel Building.
Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Behaviour of Steel Structures in Seismic Areas (STESSA), New Delhi, India.
(In Preparation)
(C26)
(2026, July). Development of Nonstructural Fragility Models Using an Expanded Research Database.
Proceedings of the 13th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Portland, OR.
(In Review)
(C23)
(2026, May). Physical Damage - Measured Response Correlation for Nonstructural Components Tested under Multihazard (Earthquake and Fire) Demands in the CFS10 Building.
In Structures Congress 2026. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers.
(In Review)
(C17)
(2026, March). An Open-Source Nonstructural Element Database to Shorten the Tech Transfer Gap Between Nonstructural Research and Building Design.
Proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Seismic Performance of Non-Structural Elements (SPONSE), Yokohama, Japan.
(Accepted)
