Energy-based seismic design and assessment of ductile linked rocking steel frame

Ductile linked rocking steel frame (DLRF) is an innovative and efficient structural system that combines two gravity-controlled rocking steel braced frames with corrugated steel plate links. DLRF is designed to dissipate input seismic energy through the uplifting and yielding of the rocking column base and yielding of the corrugated steel plate link. To ensure the DLRF can achieve superior seismic performance at various shaking intensities, the equivalent energy design procedure (EEDP) is adopted to design DLRF. In this paper, two prototype DLRF buildings (3 - and 6 - story) were designed using EEDP. Robust numerical models were established to verify the seismic performance of the DLRF. Nonlinear dynamic analyses confirm that the DLRF designed using EEDP can achieve the desired performance objectives at different levels of earthquake shaking intensities. In addition, the results of the incremental dynamic analyses show that DLRF has a sufficient safety margin against collapse. Hence, DLRF can be used as an alternative seismic force-resisting system. •The ductile linked rocking steel frame (DLRF) is a gravity-controlled rocking system.•The DLRF dissipates input energy through the uplifting and yielding of the RCBs and yielding of the CSP links.•The equivalent energy design procedure (EEDP) is adopted to design DLRF.•The EEDP-designed DLRF can achieve the desired performances at different shaking intensities.•The DLRF has a sufficient safety margin against collapse.