Design of steel and composite structures with limited ductility requirements for optimized performances in moderate earthquake areas – the “Meakado” project

Abstract

The purpose of the present contribution is to summarize the developments carried out in the framework of the research project MEAKADO funded by European Commission. The aim of this research program is to develop specific design methodologies for steel and steel-concrete composite structures in regions characterised by a low to moderate seismic activity. The precise objective consists in looking for an intermediate way of designing in which a reduced but controlled amount of ductility is accounted for, providing thus the necessary safety required for allowing facing the uncertainties on the seismic action, but where the requirements are less stringent than a pure application of EC8-DCM design principles. The research program focuses on moment-resisting and concentrically braced frames. It covers a combination of experimental and numerical studies and is expected to result in proposals formulated according to a pre-standard format in the perspective of further revisions of the design codes.