Approach to the seismic design of steel structures based on cumulative damage criteria

The applicability of Miner's rule to the assessment of cumulative damage of structural details in steel structures under seismic loading is discussed and validated both numerically and experimentally. Starting from this consideration, a seismic design method is proposed that, based on linear elastic dynamic analyses, takes into account a more precise description of the structural behaviour. The proposed method also leads to the identification of a methodology for the assessment of the q-factor, based on a comparison of the cumulative damage during an earthquake, estimated by means of dynamic linear and non-linear analyses. This methodology is discussed with reference to columns of single-storey buildings, and compared to other methods for the assessment of the q-factor based on the ductility factor theory.