Higher-mode force response in multi-story strongback-braced frames

Strongback-braced frames employ an essentially elastic steel truss, or strongback, that distributes demands more uniformly to delay or prevent story mechanisms. Because inertial forces are no longer limited by the formation of a story mechanism, strongback-braced frames can exhibit large elastic force demands, particularly in the higher modes. This paper characterizes the higher-mode force response of strongback-braced frames. Four-story archetypes were designed using nonlinear dynamic analyses to incorporate higher-mode force demands into the design process. The response of the archetypes was compared with that of reference buckling-restrained braced frames that were allowed to form story mechanisms. The force demands in the strongback were then described using equivalent-static forces to represent the inertial forces induced by the higher modes. Force demands in the strongback arise from a yielding first-mode ‘pivoting’ and elastic higher-mode ‘bending’ response. These higher-mode force demands are elastic, ill-constrained by the strength of the yield mechanism, and depend significantly on the choice of ground motion record used for the analysis. In remaining elastic in the higher modes, the strongback distributes demands more uniformly and mitigates the formation of story mechanisms. Consequently, design and analysis methods for strongback-braced frames need to include estimates for these near-elastic higher-mode force demands.