Vertical uplift of suspension equipment due to hanger slackening: Experimental and numerical investigation

The suspension thyristor valve can generate tremendous vertical acceleration responses in layers and large tension forces in hangers. A shaking table test of a scaled-down model of thyristor valves suspended on a hall building is performed to qualify the risk of vertical uplift of two representative types of valves, the chain valve and the rigid valve. Besides, an analytical model is established to investigate the source of the slackening of hangers. The test results show that the valves frequently experience a large vertical acceleration response. The soft spring joint can significantly reduce acceleration, but is still unable to prevent vertical uplift of the chain valve. The analytical model shows a stiffer roof and inter-story connection both contribute to a higher risk of vertical uplift for a rigid valve. In addition, the planar eccentricity and short hangers, which result in torsional motion of the valve, increase the possibility of vertical uplift for a chain valve. Therefore, spring joints with additional viscous dampers and symmetric layout in each layer are recommended for the rigid and chain valve, respectively, to prevent the uplift of valves.