Performance Assessment of Steel Special Moment Resisting Frames Designed as Per IS 800:2007

Steel moment resisting frames are one of the most popular structural systems, which are used extensively for low to high-rise buildings in varying seismic regions around the world. Even though the use of structural steel in India is quite less in comparison to reinforced concrete structures, steel moment resisting frames are used extensively in industrial as well as commercial projects. The special steel moment resisting frames are a special category of this system, which are specifically detailed to undergo large inelastic cyclic deformation in regions of high seismicity. This paper addresses the design of special moment resting frame mentioned in Indian steel code IS 800:2007 and provides suggestions in terms of improving the inelastic response of the system. The limitations in terms of qualified and efficient Indian steel sections available for use in moment frames have been highlighted explicitly. Additionally, the inelastic cyclic performance of steel special moment resisting frames designed using Indian design code has been assessed under design basis and maximum considered earthquake hazard levels. Performance in terms of inter-storey drift, failure mechanism, material consumption, etc. has been compared to assess the design efficiency.