Shaking Table Earthquake Response of Steel Frame

Earthquake responses of a 17-ft 4-in. (5.29-m) tall three-story steel frame structure were produced in two series of shaking table tests: (1) Yielding initiated in the panel zones of joints; and (2) yielding occurred exclusively at column and girder ends of the structure. The test data are used in the development and verification of analytical proedures. Mathematical models are formulated by first defining the element properties and then assembling them to obtain the system properties. Panel zone deformability, bi-linear strain-hardening plastic hinges, and foundation flexibility are considered in modeling. The model with its parameters rationally determined either analytically or experimentally proves to be adequate in predicting both global and local response histories of the structure undergoing elastic and inelastic seismic responses. Since the predicted local deformations are found to be very sensitive to the specified yield mechanisms, it is concluded that the prediction of damage level in typical seismic response analyses of structures cannot generally be exact.