Hello. As a newcomer to this newsgroup, I am very impressed with the extent of communication between individuals. Most of the conversations appear to center on the electrical characteristics or protocols of communications equipment and interfaces. My own interests are in the structural/physical environment in which these devices are installed - gantries, beams, towers, false ceilings, raised floors, cabinets, etc.
A question for everyone - to what extent are these devices being designed to withstand blast or earthquake? The former is a big issue for lifeline and high-security installations and is still in the developmental stages for buildings, bridges, etc. The latter is a major concern to everyone in high seismic risk areas and is already well researched for large structures. However, I am not aware of much being done for equipment supports, fixtures, cabinets, etc. and have not heard anything regarding the electrical components themselves. Some research I was involved in back in 1985 (approx) for impact resistant instrumentation indicated that protecting switches, circuit boards, etc., had not been undertaken. Areas of concern would include maximum dynamic loads, maximum dynamic deflections, stress and corrosion fatigue and resistance to impulse loads. Any thoughts?
