Seismic response of multi-storey steel buildings with flexible connections

In the limit states design of steel building frames, usually simplifying assumptions are made with regard to the behaviour of beam-to-column connections. The Canadian standard for steel buildings recognizes three such sets of assumptions. One of them is the ‘special simple construction’ in which the beam-to-column connections are assumed to be completely free (pinned) to resist gravity loads and are assumed to be ‘rigid’ to resist the lateral loads due to earthquake or wind. Such connections are then designed for moments due to lateral loads only, and thus they are usually flexible. This paper is concerned with the influence of the connection flexibility and the strength on the overall strength and stiffness of steel building frames. The study considers 10 storey and 20 storey office buildings. The first part of the paper illustrates the analysis and design of the 10 storey building on the basis of ‘special simple construction’. By using realistic connection behaviour, the frames were subjected to equivalent static loads due to wind or earthquake and El Centro, 1940 earthquake excitation. In the nonlinear static analysis the building frames were subjected to specified gravity loads and incremental lateral loads until failure. In the nonlinear dynamic analysis the buildings were subjected to specified gravity loads and 70% of El Centro, 1940 earthquake excitation. For comparison purposes the frames were analysed twice, first assuming rigid connections and then with flexible connections. The static analyses results show that the connection flexibility increases the building deflections at specified loads, but the strength is only marginally affected. The dynamic analyses results show an increase in deflections and also generally an increase in column bending moments due to connection flexibility and the associated strength.