Sliding panels and earthquakes

Joachim Huber <joachim.huber<-a t->prevart< . >ch> writes

>One of our clients wonders about the behavior of sliding panels
>(rolling racks, pull out panels) in museum storages in case of an
>earthquake.  Has somebody experience in installing sliding panels in
>a potentially seismic zone?  Are there any precautions taken in
>seismic zones (e.g. stronger construction of the panels, special
>fixing to floor or ceiling, special clamps, blocking systems etc.)?

Rolling racks, sliding panels, etc. should have locks on them and
always be locked in place when moved to the desired position in case
of earthquake.  When finished accessing the area, the shelves,
racks, drawers, etc.  should be rolled closed and locked.  Avoiding
open gaps between the shelving units when not in use reduces the
risk of shelves toppling and dominoeing.  They move as a unit and
the boxes stay on the shelves.  There are also a variety of
earthquake straps and barriers to keep things on shelves, and
keeping things in boxes also helps.  Ensure cases against walls are
fixed to the walls.  I haven't personally experienced an earthquake
(or at least, not a big one), but these are the measures we use.

Valerie Tomlinson
Conservator
Auckland War Memorial Museum
Tamaki Paenga Hira
The Domain
Private Bag 92018
Victoria Street West
Auckland 1142, New Zealand
+64 9 306 7070ext 7304


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 27:41
                  Distributed: Friday, April 25, 2014
                       Message Id: cdl-27-41-005
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