Large-scale testing of low-ductility, concentrically-braced frames

In regions of moderate seismic hazard, the costly structural detailing necessary to ensure adequate ductile performance of a braced frame during an earthquake event can be difficult to justify economically. Structural engineers, however, are permitted to design low-ductility systems if larger demands are assumed. In regions of moderate seismic hazard, this philosophy has proved to be economical and has resulted in widespread use of such low-ductility braced frame systems. Despite this popularity, the inelastic behavior and collapse performance of these 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. This research 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.