Lateral stiffness of nonstructural components may significantly influence the initial stiffness of the entire structure and consequently alter its dynamic characteristics. While methods for simulating structural members are well-established, approaches for modeling nonstructural components that also participate in seismic response are notably less developed. In this paper a simplified, physically-intuitive approach for estimating...

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are known as active materials that can be widely ‎used for structural purposes due to their flag-shape behavior under loading and ‎reloading. Their unique characteristics provided a potential solution for civil engi-‎neers especially to model buildings with the capability of dissipating seismic en-‎ergy. In this study, the main purpose is to explore the seismic behavior of Knee-‎Braced Frames (KBFs) and...

Current design guidelines in the United States require a check for only column axial force under overstrength seismic loads for capacity-designed steel moment frames. A study is presented to examine the implications of this guidance, which disregards the column interaction check (including both axial force and moment) under overstrength seismic loads. A set of thirteen steel moment frames are designed using multiple rules that...

The rotational fixity of column base connections in Steel Moment Resisting Frames (SMRFs) strongly influences their seismic response. However, approaches for estimating base fixity have been validated only against laboratory test data. These approaches are examined based on strong motion recordings from four instrumented SMRF buildings in California to informbest practices for seismic response simulation. These buildings represent...

Column-base connections in steel moment-resisting frames (SMFs) in seismic regions are commonly designed to develop the capacity of adjoining column with an intent to develop a plastic hinge in the column member, rather than in the connection (i.e., a strong-base design). Recent research has shown base connections to possess high ductility, indicating that this practice may be not only expensive but also unnecessary. This suggests...