Behavior of Nonstructural Elements in the 2003 Bam, Iran, Earthquake

Regarding the importance of nonstructural elements in the vulnerability of buildings and their seismic safety level, on one hand, and the extensive damage to some of these elements in the 26 December 2003 Bam earthquake, on the other, this paper reviews the particular features of nonstructural elements in Iranian buildings and then presents the results of a thorough survey of their behavior and the damage they sustained in the city of Bam. Finally, based on the results of this survey, some recommendations are made that will be useful for modification of the “Guidelines for the Seismic Retrofit of Existing Buildings,” which is the only official reference on this topic used currently in Iran.