Abstract
Recent changes to the United States seismic design provisions permit the use of weak column-strong beam steel moment resisting frames. This design concept has not been used in the past, because it results in plastic hinges in the columns during moderate or extreme earthquakes. This paper shows the results of inelastic dynamic response calculations on a weak column frame and a comparable strong column system. The results show that the ductility demand is much greater for the weak column strong beam framing system with some acceleration records. The required ductility is then compared for the different structural systems and both are compared to the results of experiments. The comparison suggests that the weak column system may not be able to develop the required ductility. The results of this paper should help define the viability and limits in applicability of the weak column system.
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