| Driven largely by economic considerations, a low-ductility philosophy for building design has developed and become commonplace in regions of moderate seismic hazard. Current code provisions permit the use of these systems; however, unlike high-ductility systems, which have been studied and tested extensively, the inelastic behavior and collapse performance of low-ductility systems are not currently understood at a fundamental level. A broadened understanding of the inelastic behavior of low-ductility braced frames can lead to an improved seismic design philosophy and provide practicing structural engineers with a coherent, rational, and transparent design approach applicable to moderate seismic regions. The research presented in this thesis aims to identify low-ductility braced frame failure mechanisms and the sequence in which they occur, as well as to draw conclusions on the implications of the observed behavior contextually in building collapse performance. |
