Composite steel and concrete structural systems for seismic engineering

Research within the United States on seismic engineering of buildings using composite steel/concrete structural systems has increased dramatically in the past decade. This paper summarizes recent research on a number of these composite lateral resistance systems, including unbraced moment frames consisting of steel girders with concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) or steel reinforced concrete (SRC) columns; braced frames having concrete-filled steel tube columns; and a variety of composite and hybrid wall systems. The benefits of these structural systems relative to more common systems include their performance characteristics when subjected to service or ultimate loads, and their economy with respect both to material and construction. In addition, more in-depth research results will be presented on one of these composite systems, consisting of partially-restrained steel frames with composite reinforced concrete infill walls. The paper concludes with a summary of probable future design provisions for these composite systems. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.