Rotation capacity vs demand of steel beams under catastrophic events

Abstract

A wide ongoing experimental campaign has been planned in order characterize the rotation capacity of steel beams under large deformation demand coming from catastrophic events. To achieve this purpose, a set of steel profiles have been selected as representative specimens of the class of beams usually adopted in the common Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs). Indeed, the choice of this sub-assemblage scheme allows to examine the role of bending moment gradient on the flexural capacity of the tested steel beams. The preliminary experimental results are compared with those ongoing from the numerical analyses. Moreover, having adopted the hysteretic properties calibrated on the basis of experimental results, some MRF structures have been analysed in order to evaluate the rotation demand under catastrophic events.