Design Guidelines for Steel Moment Frames for New Buildings

Abstract

The damage to steel moment frames observed in the Northridge earthquake of 1994 led to requirements in codes for use of tested connections, when these systems were to be employed in new buildings. One of the primary goals of the FEMA/SAC project was to develop guidelines for the design of steel moment frames that would return the design process to a relatively simple set of procedures similar to those used in the design of other lateral force-resisting systems. Recommended Seismic Design Criteria for New Steel Moment-Frame Buildings, FEMA-350, presents design guidelines for use of steel moment frames in new buildings, developed from the FEMA/SAC research. This paper provides a general summary of the criteria, and a description of the prequalified connections and recommendations for their use.