Seismic Behavior of Structural Subassemblages

The behavior of both structural steel and reinforced concrete specimens subjected to quasi-static cyclic loadings simulating severe seismic effects are examined. A large number of experimentally determined hysteretic loops for different structural arrangements based on the work mainly done at the University of California, Berkeley, serve as illustrations. The important distinction among the material, the member and the subassemblage ductilities is emphasized. The significance of the different character of the hysteretic behavior on the overall seismic structural performance is discussed by relating it to the widely-used response spectrum approach for seismic analysis. The relationship of the latter approach to the conventional code design procedures is also given.