Structural response of vertically irregular tall moment‐resisting steel frames under pre‐ and post‐earthquake fire

Post‐earthquake fires (PEF) may result in a catastrophe in urban regions even worse than the earthquake itself. Most urban structures are not designed to resist two subsequent extreme loads such as earthquake and fire. Thus, these types of structures are too weak when subjected to the PEF loads. On the other hand, it is well understood that irregular building structures are more susceptible to sustain earthquake damage than regular buildings. Investigating irregular buildings can therefore be more important when there is a high possibility of PEF. While there are various irregularities, here, vertical irregularity is considered. The study is performed on one irregular seven‐story tall moment‐resisting steel frame designed based on the American Society of Civil Engineers code. The frame is firstly subjected to an earthquake load with the peak ground acceleration of 0.35 g and then is exposed to a generalized exponential fire curve. To make a comparison between the results, the PEF analysis is also performed for the regular frame. The results show that there is a marked difference between the PEF of the regular frame with that of the irregular frame. In addition, two types of failure—local and global—were observed during the analysis, where the local collapse is related to the deflection of beams, and the global collapse is pertained to the considerable movement of the columns. It is observed during the analysis that the irregular frames are more susceptible to collapse globally. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Robustness assessment of planar steel frames caused by failure of a side column under localized fire

Progressive collapse of a building structure under fire is a disaster that may cause heavy casualties and serious economic loss. However, there is a lack of codified method to assess fire‐induced progressive collapse of building structures. A global–local analysis method (GLAM) has recently been proposed by the authors and their colleagues to assess progressive collapse of steel buildings under localized fire, and its application on fire scenarios that causes one inner column to fail has been verified. This paper extends the application of GLAM to fire scenarios that causes a side column to fail in a planar steel frame. The predictions of the GLAM were validated against the results obtained from nonlinear dynamic analysis of the whole frame model. Besides, effects of location of the heated column at different storeys and load level of the frame were also studied. The results show that GLAM gives the same collapse predictions to the case studies with detailed nonlinear dynamic analysis. The differences between the critical load obtained from GLAM and that provided by the nonlinear dynamic analysis is within 7%. Therefore, GLAM has good applicability on robustness assessment of planar steel frames caused by failure of a side column under localized fire.     

Loss-of-stability induced progressive collapse modes in 3D steel moment frames

This paper deals with the progressive collapse analysis of a tall steel frame following the removal of a corner column according to the alternate load path approach. Several analysis techniques are considered (eigenvalue, material nonlinearities, material and geometric nonlinearities), as well as 2D and 3D modelling of the structural system. It is determined that the collapse mechanism is a loss-of-stability-induced one that can be identified by combining a 3D structural model with an analysis involving both material and geometric nonlinearities. The progressive collapse analysis reveals that after the initial removal of a corner column, its two adjacent columns fail from elastic flexural-torsional buckling at a load lower than the design load. The failure of these two columns is immediately followed by the failure of the next two adjacent columns from elastic flexural–torsional buckling. After the failure of these five columns, the entire structure collapses without the occurrence of any significant plastification. The main contribution is the identification of buckling-induced collapse mechanisms in steel frames involving sequential buckling of multiple columns. This is a type of failure mechanism that has not received appropriate attention because it practically never occurs in properly designed structures without the accidental loss of a column.     

Seismic progressive-failure analysis of tall steel structures under beam-removal scenarios

Investigating progressive collapse of tall structures under beam removal scenarios after earthquake is a complex subject because the earthquake damage acts as an initial condition for the subsequent scenario. An investigation is performed here on a 10 story steel moment resisting structure designed to meet the life safety level of performance when different beam removal scenarios after earthquake are considered. To this end, the structure is first subjected to the design earthquake simulated by Tabas earthquake acceleration. The beam removal scenarios are then considered at different locations assuming that both ends connections of the beam to columns are simultaneously detached from the columns; thus the removed beam falls on the underneath floor with an impact. This imposes considerable loads to the structure leading to a progressive collapse in all the scenarios considered. The results also show that the upper stories are much more vulnerable under such scenarios than the lower stories. Hence, more attention shall be paid to the beam-to-column connections of the upper stories during the process of design and construction.     

Evaluation of different loading simulation approaches for progressive collapse analysis of regular building frames

Applications of different loading simulation approaches to progressive collapse analysis of building frames subjected to sudden column loss are evaluated in this paper. Analytical investigation on the nonlinear static behaviour of a middle-supported clamped beam reveals that both the load-release and direct loading techniques will result in consistent response if the supporting force may be completely released. However, the dynamic load-displacement responses of eight building models indicate that the direct loading approach may predict less load capacity and larger displacement demand than the load-release one. The relative error in load-displacement response is more significant with the pseudo-static estimation. The difference in displacement response between the load-release and the direct loading or pseudo-static approaches may increase with the extent of plastification and number of storeys of the building frames. An empirical formula is proposed and validated for estimating the displacement error. The empirical formula may help for enhancing practical applications of the direct loading and pseudo-static approaches to progressive collapse analyses of low-to-medium rise, regular building frames.     

Collapse analysis of steel moment frames with various seismic connections

Seismic connections with high ductile capacity are generally considered to be effective for resisting seismic loads. However, additional studies are still needed to evaluate the performance of seismic connections during progressive collapse. In this study the progressive collapse resisting capacity of the Reduced Beam Section (RBS), Welded Cover Plated Flange (WCPF), and Welded Unreinforced Flange-Welded Web (WUF-W) connections, which are seismic connections recommended by the FEMA/SAC project, was investigated. For progressive collapse analysis, two types of steel moment frame buildings were considered; one designed for high-seismic load and the other designed for moderate-seismic load. The vertical displacement at the point of column removal and the plastic hinge rotation at beam ends were checked by using an alternative load path method proposed in the guidelines. The analysis results showed that the performance of the Cover Plate connection turned out to be the most effective in resisting progressive collapse, especially in structures located in moderate-seismic regions.     

Horizontal bracing to enhance progressive collapse resistance of steel moment frames

In this paper, the effect of horizontal bracing on enhancing the resistance of steel moment frames against progressive collapse is investigated. Previously designed 6 bay by 3 bay 18‐story steel frame prototype building with 6 m bay span (namely, unbraced frame), which was susceptible to progressive collapse, is retrofitted by four types of horizontal bracing systems on the perimeter of the topmost story and analyzed using 3D nonlinear dynamic method. Six different cross‐sections for each bracing system type are considered, and the capacity curves for each model are obtained. Three column removal circumstances, namely, Edge Short Column, First Edge Long Column, and Edge Long Column are considered in this paper. The results imply that horizontal bracing would increase the resistance of moment frames against progressive collapse. However, one of the bracing types in which axial compressive force is created in braces is not appropriate for retrofitting.     

火灾下门式钢刚架倒塌预警可靠度研究

为了解决实际火灾救援中火灾场景、荷载水平等不确定因素对倒塌预警准确性的影响,基于可靠度理论提出了预测受火建筑倒塌剩余时间的方法。采用经试验验证的三维有限元模型对火灾下门式钢刚架结构倒塌进行仿真模拟,基于火灾下门式钢刚架结构四种倒塌模式和三级倒塌预警指标,研究升温工况、柱脚刚性、荷载比等因素对倒塌剩余时间预测的不定性影响,通过蒙特卡罗抽样,研究考虑各种影响的火灾下门式钢刚架倒塌预警指标概率统计参数。结果表明：倒塌剩余时间比仅与可靠度和倒塌模式有关,不受火灾现场的各种不确定性因素影响,可以在火灾发生前通过理论分析提前计算得到;火灾中采用可靠度60%～80%对应的倒塌剩余时间比可以快速合理地预测受火刚架的剩余倒塌时间。     

方钢管混凝土柱-钢梁框架耐火性能分析

研究方钢管混凝土柱-钢梁框架结构的耐火性能。基于有限元方法,分析了GB/T 9978（同ISO-834）加热条件下,带有混凝土楼板的方钢管混凝土柱-钢梁单向螺栓连接框架结构的温度分布、耐火时间和破坏模式,并对有限元模拟结果进行了试验验证,在试验结果基础上采用有限元方法分析了方钢管混凝土柱构件与方钢管混凝土框架柱的耐火极限差异。研究结果表明：与方钢管混凝土框架柱的其他区域相比,方钢管混凝土框架柱节点区的温度相对较低;根据本文建议的框架结构判定准则,当单向螺栓节点连接可靠,随着作用在柱和梁上荷载水平的变化,柱破坏模式和梁破坏模式是方钢管混凝土柱-钢梁框架的主要破坏模式;当框架梁上不施加荷载,只对框架柱起到约束作用,其他条件相同时,方钢管混凝土框架柱的耐火极限大于两端铰接柱构件的耐火极限,但小于一端固接一端铰接支撑柱构件的耐火极限。     

火灾下门式钢刚架倒塌预测关键易测参量与预警方法

近年来火灾下钢结构倒塌事故频繁发生,严重威胁消防救援官兵和人民群众的生命财产安全,引起国家应急管理部消防救援局的高度关注,亟需开展建筑火灾倒塌预警方法研究.文章基于足尺结构受火试验数据和参数化数值分析结果,提出火灾下门式钢刚架的四种典型倒塌模式,重点研究不同倒塌模式下结构关键易测参量的变化规律,确定了可用于预测火灾下门...     

地震作用下钢框架结构竖向连续倒塌可靠度分析

通过建立典型钢框架的连续倒塌分析数值模型,使用拉丁超立方抽样方法抽取随机样本进行可靠度分析,考虑结构参数的不确定性影响,确定完好结构在地震作用下发生局部损坏的概率。以大震作用下可靠度指标最小的构件作为结构的失效构件,基于整体可靠度方法,采用拆除构件法对失效构件进行拆除并施加地震荷载进行分析,得到不同失效模式下受损结构发生连续倒塌条件可靠度指标和失效概率。最后结合失效构件的失效概率,研究结构在地震作用下的连续倒塌全概率可靠度。研究表明,运用可靠度理论对钢框架结构进行连续倒塌可靠度分析,可以直观地得到地震作用下钢框架结构发生连续倒塌的概率,为准确评价钢框架结构在地震作用下的抗连续倒塌能力提供依据。     

基于实际火灾场景的钢框架结构倒塌机制分析

采用ABAQUS建立无楼板的多层钢框架模型,采用顺序热-固耦合法,综合考虑实际火灾场景下局部火源位置、火源功率变化、非均匀分布温度场及火灾作用下梁柱失效进行分析,研究了在梁柱的受火形式和失效柱位置两种因素影响下钢框架结构的初始破坏机理与倒塌机制。结果表明：钢框架结构的连续倒塌始于受火柱的屈曲失效,与之相连的梁由于失去竖向支撑挠度增大并产生拉力,使内力重分布柱产生侧移,进而在火灾的持续作用下结构位移不断发展,破坏向周围扩散,最终导致结构发生连续性倒塌;当底层失效柱为角柱和边柱时,结构发生倾覆式连续性倒塌;当底层失效柱主要分布在结构对称轴上时,结构发生下沉式连续性倒塌,该类型倒塌发生较为突然。     

梁端楔形翼缘连接钢框架低周反复荷载试验研究

提出了梁端楔形翼缘连接节点,通过2跨2层梁端楔形翼缘连接钢框架试件的低周反复加载试验,研究了结构在地震作用下的滞回性能、耗能机制、耗能能力、刚度退化和破坏形态。结果显示,试件破坏模式为延性,破坏时的顶点位移角达到了1/29,整体延性系数在4.7以上,梁上塑性铰出现在翼缘变化处,表明梁端楔形翼缘连接钢框架具有良好的抗震性能。对试件进行了静力弹塑性分析,节点域用转动弹簧来考虑其剪切变形,采用双线性特性塑性铰的计算结果与试验结果较一致。     

Behavior and design of reinforced concrete frames retrofitted with steel bracing against progressive collapse

Steel bracing is able to improve progressive collapse resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames, but the bracing design is typically based on seismic retrofitting or lateral stability. There is no approach for design of steel bracing against progressive collapse. To this end, a retrofitting approach with steel braces is proposed based on analysis of macro finite element (FE) models with fiber beam elements. The FE models were initially validated through the experimental results of a braced frame and then used to investigate the effects of pertinent parameters on the progressive collapse resistance of planar frames. The results suggest the braces should be placed at the top story. Thereafter, macro FE models are built to investigate the dynamic responses of the three‐dimensional prototype RC frames under different column removal scenarios (CRS) and show the necessity of retrofitting. Accordingly, the design approach of steel bracing is proposed with incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and assuming independent contribution of braces and frames to resistance. Finally, the fragility analysis of the frames under a corner‐penultimate‐exterior CRS is conducted through IDA and Monte Carlo simulation, and the results confirm the validity of the proposed design approach for retrofitting RC frames.     

钢支撑对多层钢框架结构抗连续倒塌鲁棒性影响研究

为研究钢支撑对钢框架结构抗连续倒塌鲁棒性的影响,制作了两个1/2缩尺的二层钢框架子结构,其中一个框架布置钢支撑,另一个为纯框架。试验采用位移控制的Pushdown加载方式,对多层钢框架的抗力机制、内力变化以及破坏模式进行研究。试验结果表明：布置钢支撑后,钢框架子结构的初始刚度和极限荷载分别提升129.7%和45.1%,明显提高了钢结构抗连续倒塌的鲁棒性;由于受压支撑在加载初期就开始发生局部屈曲,较早失去承载能力,钢支撑的抗力贡献主要由受拉支撑提供。通过有限元分析软件ANSYS/LS-DYNA进一步研究了钢支撑布置位置及其截面尺寸对钢框架抗连续倒塌性能的影响,分析结果表明：增大钢支撑的截面尺寸可以明显提高钢框架的承载力,但会降低其变形能力;将钢支撑布置于失效柱上层或顶层时对钢框架的加固效果较好;由于去柱楼层的不确定,建议将钢支撑布置于顶层对框架抗倒塌更为有利。     

支撑—异形柱钢框架结构的静力弹塑性分析

简述了Push-over方法的基本原理,并运用ETABS对柱截面积相同、柱形(H形柱,异形柱)不同的支撑—钢框架结构进行弹塑性分析,发现了支撑—异形柱钢框架结构抗震性能优于纯钢框架结构,支撑—异形柱钢框架较支撑—H形柱钢框架弱侧抗侧能力更好等优点。     

局部爆炸作用下混凝土框架结构抗连续倒塌设计

采用替代路径法对按我国规范设计的钢筋混凝土框架结构进行局部爆炸作用下抗连续倒塌设计验算和再设计.竖向构件移除位置、荷载组合、构件失效准则以及结构破坏范围限值均参考美国<结构抗连续倒塌设计>(UFC4-023-03)中的规定,改进了其中的构件塑性铰模型,采用条分法得到了纯弯和压弯构件塑性铰的荷载-变形全过程,以合理描述构件受力性能.研究发现,常规设计难以保证结构在局部爆炸作用下不发生连续倒塌.随后进行了参数研究,以认识重要参数对结构抗连续倒塌性能的影响.结果表明,减少柱距后结构抗连续倒塌性能提高明显,而提高结构抗震设防烈度的方法效果不明显,增加结构层数则会削弱结构的抗连续倒塌能力.在此基础上给出了三个抗连续倒塌设计方案并进行了经济性比较.比较表明,同时提高结构的冗余度和构件的承载力具有较好的经济性.     

Modeling on collapse behaviour of high-rise concrete-filled steel composite frames under over-design seismic excitations

This paper presents a numerical study on seismic collapse capacity of high-rise concrete-filled steel tubular moment resisting frames (CFT-MRFs) under extreme ground motions that are beyond the design levels. The ground motions characterised as flat velocity spectral shape were selected to neglect record-to-record uncertainty induced by the changing of the natural periods of structures. A simple numerical approach was developed using fibre element with stiffness and strength degradation accounted in stress–strain models. Then, incremental dynamic analyses with various parameters were performed to evaluate the P-Delta and degradation effects on local and global collapse mechanisms. Results have shown that a drift concentration at the lower stories triggered the side-sway collapse mode that was dominated by the post-buckling strength degradation of CFT columns. The height of drift concentration indicates the range where the collapse mechanism was formed, and a drift concentration factor was proposed to estimate the extent of drift concentration. Last, a factor indicating the safety margin under collapse was computed based on the probability of earthquake occurrence.     

Design and seismic response of tall chevron panel buckling‐restrained braced steel frames

The numerical analysis of the seismic performance for tall chevron panel buckling‐restrained braced steel frames (PBRBFs) under small and strong earthquake excitations has been carried out to investigate a capacity design procedure for chevron PBRBFs and to examine the effects of axial strength distribution of braces along the height of buildings, vertical supports of braces for the braced beams and the overstrength of braces on the seismic response of PBRBFs. It revealed that the chevron braces that remained elastic can actually provide the vertical supports for the braced beams. Under severe earthquake excitations, the vertical supports deteriorated greatly after braces yielding. The PBRBFs designed by omitting vertical supports of braces for the braced beams and considering the overstrength of braces exhibited superior performance with smaller plastic deformations for braced beams and reduction in ductility demands for panel buckling‐restrained braces (PBRBs) as compared with the others. The distribution of yielding for PBRBs in 10‐story buildings verified that the participation from the higher modes is not very remarkable and that the capacity design based on the first‐mode response can be considered for multistory PBRBFs. Moreover, on the basis of the analysis results of the 30‐story PBRBF, the participation of the higher modes should be taken into account for high‐rise PBRBFs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability of multi-storey unbraced steel frames subjected to variable loading

Proposed in this paper is an approach of evaluating the elastic buckling loads for multi-storey unbraced steel frames subjected to variable loading or non-proportional loading. In the case of variable loading, the conventional assumption of proportional loading is abandoned, and different load patterns may cause the frame to buckle at different levels of critical loads. In light of the use of the storey-based buckling concept to characterize the lateral sway buckling of unbraced framed structures, the problems of determining the lower and upper bounds among all of the frame buckling loads associated with different load patterns are presented as a pair of minimization and maximization problems subjected to elastic stability constraints. The problems take into account the semi-rigid behaviour of beam-to-column connections and the lateral stiffness reduction of columns due to the presence of an axial compressive load. The minimization and maximization problems are then solved by a linear programming method; thus, the lower and upper bounds of the frame buckling loads subjected to variable loading are obtained. Parametrical studies on the influence of the connection rigidity to the lower and upper bounds of critical loads and the comparisons to the conventional proportional loading are also presented in this paper.