Incremental dynamic analysis and FEMA P695 seismic performance evaluation of a cold-formed steel–framed building with gravity framing and architectural sheathing

The objective of this paper is to present incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and seismic performance evaluation results for a two-story cold-formed steel (CFS)–framed building. The archetype building was designed to current U.S. standards and then subjected to full-scale shake table tests under the U.S. National Science Foundation Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) program. Test results showed that the building's stiffness and capacity were considerably higher than expected and the building suffered only nonstructural damage even at excitations in excess of Maximum Considered Earthquake levels for a high seismic zone. For the archetype building, three-dimensional finite element models at different modeling fidelity levels were created using OpenSees. The models are subjected to IDA using the far-field ground motion records prescribed in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P695. Seismic performance quantification following the FEMA P695 procedure shows that if the modeling fidelity only follows the state-of-the-practice, ie, only includes shear walls, unsafe collapse margin ratios are predicted. State-of-the-art models that account for participation from CFS gravity walls and architectural sheathing have overall performance that are consistent with testing, and IDA results indicate acceptable collapse margin ratios, predicated primarily on large system overstrength. Neglecting the lateral force resistance of the gravity system and nonstructural components, as done in current design, renders a safe design in the studied archetype, but largely divorced from actual system behavior. The modeling protocols established here provide a means to analyze a future suite of CFS-framed archetype buildings for developing further insight on the seismic response modification coefficients for CFS-framed buildings.