Seismic demand evaluation of medium ductility RC moment frames using nonlinear procedures

Performance-based earthquake engineering is a recent focus of research that has resulted in widely developed design methodologies due to its ability to realistically simulate structural response characteristics. Precise prediction of seismic demands is a key component of performance-based design methodologies. This paper presents a seismic demand evaluation of reinforced concrete moment frames with medium ductility. The accuracy of utilizing simplified nonlinear static analysis is assessed by comparison against the results of time history analysis on a number of frames. Displacement profiles, drift demand and maximum plastic rotation were computed to assess seismic demands. Estimated seismic demands were compared to acceptance criteria in FEMA 356. The results indicate that these frames have sufficient capacity to resist interstory drifts that are greater than the limit value.