Abstract

LEON-ESCOBEDO, David De  and  TRUEBA-ALBINO, Juan Carlos. Comparison between 3 types of alternative connections for a steel building under seismic load. Ing. invest. y tecnol. [online]. 2020, vol.21, n.3, 00008.  Epub Dec 02, 2020. ISSN 2594-0732.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fi.25940732e.2020.21.3.028.

A simplified procedure based on Monte Carlo simulations and previous experimental results, to assess the economic effectiveness of 3 alternative steel connections, considering the uncertainty on the seismic load and resistances, is presented. The effectiveness is assessed through the building failure probability and the expected life-cycle cost. The procedure is based on 3 steps: 1) Nonlinear analyses of the building maximum response, for the critical frame, under predefined scenario typical seismic accelerations in Mexico City in order to identify the critical joint and the resulting functional relationship between maximum response and seismic acceleration, 2) Identification, through Finite Element Analysis, of the critical limit state per connection in terms of the maximum response, and 3) Monte Carlo simulation of the limit state function, per connection, to calculate the failure probability .With the failure probability, the building expected life-cycle cost is calculated, for each connection type, including the main failure consequences. It is observed that the 3 connection types shoe stable hysteretic behavior and the connection type with brackets produces the lowest failure probability. Therefore, even though this is the most expensive connection, it generates the lowest expected life-cycle cost and it is recommended for sites with high seismicity. The other 2 connection types may be recommended for zones with medium or low seismicity. One of the shortcomings of the study is that it was performed only for a single building and other structural types and sizes must be considered before making general recommendations. Designers may count now with an example that serves as an orientation to their connection type selection according to their conditions on seismic environment and structural type.

Keywords : Steel connections; seismic loading; hysteretic behavior; failure probability; expected life-cycle costs.

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