Experimental testing of school furniture designed with life-saving functions in case of earthquakes

Abstract

This study explores newly developed furniture working as protective elements in the case of seismic events causing damage in buildings. Attention is given to a school classroom where desks and shelving units are the typical furniture adopted. School desks aim to protect against falling ceiling debris, while shelving units are intended to prevent damage to and overturning of partition walls. Previous designs for desks were costly and impractical, whereas shelving units received minimal attention beyond stronger wall connections to partition walls that, however, might be critical during earthquakes, as they can sustain early damage, posing risks even during moderate seismic events. The article outlines the initial structural concepts, preliminary analyses, full-scale prototypes, and experimental tests under extreme conditions. Differently from other proposals that can be found browsing internet, the solutions illustrated and tested in this study use elements of dimensions similar or even smaller to those of traditional school furniture, resulting in weights and costs that are comparable to current industrial productions in the market. The results from this study are expected to provide a novel perspective and design approach for school furniture design in seismic zones, contributing to the broader field of disaster risk reduction and resilience planning in educational environments.