Application and Validation of a Simplified Approach to Evaluate the Seismic Performances of Steel MR-Frames

The main aim of this work is to validate the application of a simplified performance-based method for assessing the seismic performance of steel buildings, focusing particularly on Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs) through nonlinear analyses. This simplified method defines the capacity curve of a structure through elastic and rigid-plastic analyses, calibrated by regression analyses conducted on 420 structures. To assess its accuracy, the method was compared with other analytical approaches, including incremental dynamic analyses (IDA) provided by existing codes. These analyses were performed on both real structures and simulated designs, considering recent and older codes. The comparison of capacity results derived from code-based approaches and IDA, aligned with the limit states outlined in current codes, showcased the high reliability of the proposed simplified assessment approach.