Design and assessment of frameless system for seismic applications

无框架体系是大跨度低层钢结构的一种解决方案，这种结构由工程冷弯形钢波纹板组成，因此不需要额外的抗震体系。瓦楞纸板(如墙壁、天花板和屋顶构件)在异地制造，运往现场并组装。这使得无框架系统成为商业和工业建筑最有效的解决方案之一，这些建筑需要较短的安装时间。凭借这些优势，Framless System在加拿大和世界范围内获得了稳定的市场份额。无框架系统目前被用于各种应用，如工业、娱乐和商业用途。无框架系统是加拿大最大的钢建筑系统制造商Behlen Industries的产品。Behlen拥有40多年制造钢结构建筑系统的历史，并在工程技术、制造概念、结构改进和建筑质量方面进行了大量投资。因此，今天的Framless系统在成本、强度、功能和美观方面都要好得多。通过这些创新，Behlen将Framless系统提升到了一个更高的水平，并帮助定位长期增长，并在加拿大和世界范围内获得更大的接受度。然而，对于无框架体系作为抗震体系的适用性，目前尚无明确的认识。目前，无框架结构体系的抗震设计实践采用基于力的方法，无框架结构体系按常规结构进行设计。在以往的地震事件中，没有无框架体系的记录，也没有循环响应方面的试验数据。本研究方案旨在研究无框架结构体系的抗震性能。建议在不列颠哥伦比亚大学(UBC)结构工程实验室执行一种稳健的方法，包括全面的实验和分析程序。在本研究中，将从材料层面到横截面层面，最终从要素和体系层面对无框架体系进行系统的研究。一旦实验和分析程序完成，将根据加拿大现行规范制定无框架系统的详细设计方法。因此，无框架体系可以作为加拿大预审的抗震体系。这将确保在加拿大和世界各地的高地震区使用更强大、更经济和更可靠的抗震系统。

Frameless system is a solution for long-span low-rise steel structures that consists of engineered cold-formed steel corrugated panels, thus eliminating the need for additional seismic force resisting system. The corrugated panels (such as the wall, ceiling and roof elements) are fabricated off-site, shipped to site and assembled. This makes Frameless system one of the most efficient solutions for commercial and industrial constructions, where short erection time is required. With these advantages, Frameless system have gained steady market shares in Canada and worldwide. Frameless system is currently used for a variety of applications, such as industrial, recreational and commercial usages. Frameless system is a product of Behlen Industries, Canada's largest manufacturer of steel building systems. Behlen has over 40 years of history manufacturing steel building systems and investing heavily in engineering technology, fabrication concepts, structural improvements, and building quality. As a result, Frameless systems today are far better in terms of cost, strength, function, and aesthetics. Through these innovations, Behlen has moved the Frameless system to a higher level and help to position the long-term growth and greater acceptance in Canada and worldwide. However, there is a gap of knowledge to confirm the applicability of using Frameless system as a seismic force resisting system. Currently, the seismic design practice for the Frameless system uses a force-based approach, where Frameless system is designed as conventional construction. There are no registers of Frameless system in previous seismic events and no test data in terms of cyclic response. This research proposal is targeted to investigate the seismic performance of Frameless system. A robust methodology involving a thorough experimental and analytical program is proposed to be executed at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Structural Engineering Laboratory. In this research, the Frameless system will be systematically examined from the material level to cross section level, eventually from the element and system level. Once the experimental and analytical programs have been completed, detailed design methods for the Frameless system will be developed accordance with current Canadian codes. Hence, the Frameless system can be used as a pre-qualified seismic force resisting system in Canada. This will ensure a more robust, economical and reliable seismic force resisting system to be used in high seismic regions in Canada and worldwide.