ABSTRACT
Truss moment frames are often used in the design of steel structure to withstand gravity loads and lateral forces due to wind or earthquakes. This structural typology has been developed in last years, because of its economy especially for long spans and for the simple details required by the truss girders. In addition, the structural system provides architectural benefits which allow its use in a large variety of mid-rise structures. As a consequence, researchers have been encouraged to investigate on the seismic performance of this structural typology. Aiming to improve the dissipation capacity of traditional TMFs, Special Truss Moment Frames have been proposed by Basha and Goel (1995). This typology is able to dissipate the seismic input energy by means of special segments located in the midspan of the truss girders.
