The focus of this study is to determine if the current design provisions related to moment-resisting steel frames result in frames that behave in the manner anticipated by code writers and, more importantly, that respond satisfactorily during a real seismic event. Twelve steel moment-resisting frames were designed according to the Canadian steel standard for buildings CSA-S16.1-M89 and the National Building Code of Canada NBCC-1990. The frames were three, eight, and twenty story tall. They were ductile moment-resisting frames designed for seismic velocity zones v = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3, and nominally ductile frames designed for velocity zone v = 0.3. Nonlinear time-history analyses were performed on each frame under ten real earthquake records using the DRAIN-2DX computer program. The response of the frames was analyzed in the light of results such as story drifts, story shears and yielding elements. The frames seemed to behave as expected in the codes, and their response was satisfactory.

Redwood, R. G. (Advisor)