Validation of a Design Procedure for Failure Mode Control of EB-Frames: Push-Over and IDA Analyses

Abstract

The paper is devoted to the investigation of the seismic response of eccentrically braced frames characterised by links having different length. In addition, the analysed structures have been designed according to a methodology, already proposed by the authors, aiming to guarantee a collapse mechanism of global type. Therefore, the results of the nonlinear analyses herein presented provide the validation of the proposed design procedure, by testifying that all the designed structures exhibit a global failure mode where all the links are yielded while all the columns remain in elastic range with the exception of the base section of first storey columns, leading to high energy dissipation capacity and global ductility.

Furthermore, two different distributions of the link lengths are examined. The first one is characterised by short links with uniform lengths along the height of the structure. The second one is characterised by the use of link elements having different length at the different storeys which are selected to assure the same value of the non-dimensional link length.

The seismic response of EB-Frames with such distributions of the link length is investigated by means of both push-over analyses and dynamic non-linear analyses. The comparison of the performances is mainly carried out in terms of plastic hinges distribution, local ductility demand and frame lateral stiffness.