ABSTRACT
It is well known and accepted that a successful seismic design must be based on the correct assessment of the structural energy absorption capabilities, either by means of plastic dissipation, or by means of passive or active damping. Literature results suggest that steel-concrete moment-resisting composite frames with partially-restrained (PR) connections can exhibit a favorable behavior in low-to-medium seismicity areas. The paper deals with a numerical study on the behavior of such structural typology subjected to both recorded acceleration histories and conventional seismic loading conditions, with particular emphasis on the description of the influence of each structural component on energy dissipation. The results of a series of static and time-history transient dynamic analyses on a number of PR composite frames are presented and discussed. The particular modeling technique adopted allows for an in-depth analysis of the behavior of the joints components. Some conclusions are drawn which point out the influence of the frequency content of the seismic input on the energy-dissipation behavior of the analyzed frames.
