ANSI/ASHRAE 171-2008 Provides Guidance on Testing Seismic Restraints for HVAC/R Equipment
September 18, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE) released American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ASHRAE 171-2008 - Method of Testing Seismic Restraint Devices for HVAC&R Equipment to provide manufacturers a standard way of testing such devices to prequalify products for earthquake-prone areas.
"This standard is a breakthrough for ASHRAE," said James Tauby, chair of the committee that wrote the standard.
Tauby said this new national standard moves testing from the West Coast to the entire U.S.
According to ASHRAE, it is the first national standard for seismic restraint testing of nonstructural components that does not require shaker table testing, which is the required testing form in many California projects.
Standard 171 provides static-test procedures for determining the capacity of seismic restraints for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) equipment. These test procedures determine the maximum force a restraint can withstand without breakage or permanent deformation.
Manufacturers of vibration isolators, seismic restraint vendors and strut channels can use the standard to test their products' suitability for standing up to earthquake conditions, and consulting engineers can use the standard as a reference in specifications, ASHRAE said.
Source: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE).