Issues In The Design Of Steel Structures For Seismic Loading

Earthquake forces mandate the absorption of energy imparted by it on the structures and steel is best suited for this. Multi-storey buildings are generally constructed in steel as framed structures. A ductile frame can undergo important inelastic deformations, localized in the neighborhood of sections with maximum bending moment. Considerable care is also needed in the design of steel structures to check failures due to instability and brittle fracture to ensure the development of full ductility and energy dissipation capacity under earthquake loading. Load and Resistant Factor Design (LRFD) is a design practice globally adopted to take care of the inelastic behavior of steel. Good workmanship is also an essential requirement in the construction of steel structures which has to resist severe earthquake forces. The paper highlights the issues involved in the design of steel buildings for seismic forces as well as the basic requirements of material characteristics.