Evaluation of deflection amplification factor in steel moment-resisting frames

Steelmoment-resisting frames (SMRFs) are the most common type of structural systems used in steel structures. The first step of structural design for SMRFs starts with the selection of the structural sections on the basis of story drift limitation. ASCE 7 (2010) requires that the inelastic story drifts be obtained by multiplying the deflections determined by elastic analysis under design earthquake forces with a deflection amplification factor (C-d). For special moment-resisting frames, C-d is given as 5.5 in ASCE 7 (2010). Lower C-d values will increase the overall inelastic response of the structure. On the other hand, the inelastic response of the structure is expected to be less severe when designed for higher C-d values. The performance objective is that the structure should sustain the inelastic deformation demand imposed due to design earthquake ground motions. This study aims at investigating the inelastic seismic response that low-rise, medium-rise and high-rise SMRFs can experience under design earthquake ground motions and maximum considered earthquake (MCE) level ground motions and evaluating the deflection amplification factors (C-d) for SMRFs in a rational way. For this purpose, nonlinear dynamic time history and pushover analyses will be carried out on SMRFs with 4, 9 and 20 stories. The results indicate that the current practice for computing the inelastic story drifts for SMRFs is rational and the frames designed complying with the current code requirements can sustain the inelastic deformations imposed during design earthquake ground motions when seismically designed and detailed. Copyright (C) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.