Evolutionary aseismic design of self-centering post-tensioned energy dissipating steel frames

In this thesis, non-linear time-history analyses were performed on a three-story, four-bay steel Special Moment Resisting Frame (SMRF) with PTED connections to study its response to the seismic environment of four west coast ground motions, for 5% probability of exceedance in 50 years. For the design of the PTED connections a computational framework considering aseismic design as a complex adaptive process is proposed. The discrete optimization problem that results from this framework is solved with the use of a Genetic Algorithm (GA). The GA program is developed and validated having as primary objective to determine robust designs of steel SMRFs incorporating PTED connections for the given seismic environment.; The analyses results indicate that the seismic performance of a SMRF with PTED connections subjected to the earthquake records studied in this report exceeds the performance of a SMRF with conventional moment-resisting connections subjected to the same earthquake records. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...