Development of High-Performance Structural Steel Systems for Resilient and Sustainable Buildings

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Experience with past earthquakes has shown that buildings are susceptible to structural damage. Economic losses associated with the repair, downtime, and demolition of buildings have significant consequences on the community functionality especially in urban regions. A recent report by the Insurance Bureau of Canada highlighted that British Columbia could experience economic losses as high as $75 billion under an earthquake of the magnitude expected for the West Coast. In view of potential socio-economic impacts, it is critical to develop new seismic force resisting systems that can protect built infrastructure from damage and disruption. The proposed research program enhances the resilience and sustainability of civil engineering infrastructure by developing new structural systems that can minimize structural damage and reduce earthquake losses and downtime. One promising approach is the application of Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) as seismic damping and recentering elements. SMAs exhibit several unique characteristics, such as self-centering (the ability to return to their original position after experiencing large deformations). Despite promising results and a growing interest over the last 2 decades in using SMAs for seismic design and retrofit of structures, the practical applications of SMAs remain at an early stage. This is due to challenges, such as material cost, limitations in analysis tools, and lack of design guidelines and comprehensive assessments of the life-cycle benefits of using SMAs. This research program addresses the challenges with the practical application of SMAs in steel moment frames. Over the next 5 years, comprehensive research will be performed, including both numerical and experimental studies that span component-level modeling and testing to building-level performance-based design and assessment. The specific objectives are to: (1) develop and experimentally validate predictive models, design and assessment tools that can be used in practice; (2) systematically characterize and optimize the seismic response; and (3) quantify the benefits of using SMAs in steel buildings through comparative life-cycle seismic performance assessment. The long-term objective of this research program is to facilitate the practical applications of seismic damage-avoidance systems. The developed design guidelines for SMA-based steel frames from this research will be recommended for implementation into the Canadian design standard for steel structures (CSA-S16) and the National Building Code of Canada. While the focus of this proposed research is on new steel buildings, research findings will be useful for both new construction and seismic retrofit of deficient framed structures. The research program will benefit the broader society by training highly qualified personnel as well as developing building systems with resilient and sustainable features that exceed the minimum performance level found in the current Canadian design standards.