| This thesis investigates the design and performance of low-ductility chevron braced frames by observing non-linear dynamic collapse behavior in analytical models. For this study 15 chevron braced frames were for 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-story building configurations in Boston, Massachusetts. For each building configuration, three separate designs were developed assuming R = 2, R = 3, and R = 4 with no seismic detailing. A fourth design was developed as a low-ductility dual system, with a primary braced frame system designed to resist wind only, and a moment frame reserve system. Both displacement based and intensity measure performance assessments were used to evaluate the performance of these frames. The results of the performance assessments were highly varied and detailed observations related to the collapse behavior of these frames showed reliance on ground motion and connection capacity, while it was hard to distinguish specific behavior trends between the different model strengths. |
