Project Overview
This award is an outcome of the NSF 09-524 program solicitation "George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Research (NEESR)" competition and includes the University of Texas, Arlington (lead) and Valparaiso University (subaward). This award will utilize the NEES equipment site at the University of Minnesota, named the Multi-Axial Subassemblage Testing (MAST) Laboratory. The goal of this research is to advance seismic safety and design of building structures by studying two steel truss systems: special truss moment frames (STMFs) and staggered truss frames (STFs).
Due to their ability to achieve large column-free floor spaces, STMFs and STFs are unique, valuable options for structural engineers. However, although STMFs and STFs offer a wide range of structural, architectural, and economical benefits, limited research data is available on the seismic performance of these systems. Because previous tests on STMFs do not adequately reflect the current practice in design and detailing, substantial improvement in design methodology and confidence could be gained for STMFs by further research. Despite the strong interest among the engineering community, the application of STFs to seismic regions has been restricted due to lack of research. The project will advance knowledge about the system behavior of STMFs and STFs and recommend innovations to improve the seismic performance of these two truss systems.
The seismic force flow in a six-story STF building
The seismic force flow in a three-story STF building
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