Fire sprinkler systems damaged during earthquakes can compromise the functionality of a building facility
either by loss of fire protection and/or by damage due to flooding. Shake table tests were conducted on a
sprinkler piping specimen, with features representative of actual practices in New Zealand, to characterize
its dynamic behavior under seismic floor excitation. The aim of the testing was to signify the need for a
reliable procedure in the relevant New Zealand Standard (NZS 4541) for the estimation of seismic demands on
these systems.