| The thesis investigates the dynamic behaviour and performance of Steel Moment Resisting Frame (SMRF) structures subjected to horizontal and vertical ground motion components of selected earthquake records. Towards this goal, three SMRF buildings of 5-, 10-, and 20-storeys are designed as structural models based on the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC-95) and the standard CAN/CSA-S16.1-94 "Limit States Design of Steel Structures" in the seismic zone {dollar}Zsb{lcub}v{rcub}{dollar} = 6. Six actual ground motion records from three recent earthquakes are used as input excitation. They are the 1988 Saguenay earthquake, 1994 Northridge earthquake and 1995 Kobe earthquake scaled to a peak horizontal ground velocity of 0.4 m/s or a peak horizontal ground acceleration of 0.4 g, which is equivalent to the velocity or acceleration seismic zone of {dollar}Zsb{lcub}v{rcub}{dollar} or {dollar}Zsb{lcub}a{rcub}{dollar} = 6. The vertical component of the ground motions is scaled by the same scale factor as the horizontal one. The response parameters such as damage pattern, vibration period, top displacement, storey drift, member forces and storey forces are investigated and compared through time history analysis with emphasis on the behaviour in the inelastic range. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
