NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Survey of Steel Moment-Resisting Frame Buildings Affected by the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.
- File
- PB95211918.pdf
- Author(s)
- Youssef, N. F. G.; Bonowitz, D.; Gross, J. L.
- Source
- April 1995, 186 p.
- Identifying Number(s)
- NISTIR-5625
- Abstract
- The January 1994 Northridge earthquake caused unexpected widespread damage to steel moment-resisting frame (MRF) buildings throughout greater Los Angles. The report presents results of a survey of MRF's inspected for connection damage since the earthquake. The survey is intended to provide an overall view of the greater Los Angeles steel frame population, as well as a single-source building-specific record of observed conditions. A computerized database was developed to track submittals, compile basic survey data, and generate summary tables. Principal conclusions from the survey data support the observation that MRF connection damage is not well correlated to any single structural characteristic. On the contrary, the survey data show that connection performance may be best understood in probabilistic, not deterministic, terms with emphasis on construction and inspection quality.
- Keywords
- Cracking (Fracturing); Damage assessment; Moments; Steel structures; Construction joints; Earthquake damage; Dynamic response; Buildings; Frame structures; Surveys; Los Angeles (California); Seismic effects; Structural members; Northridge Earthquake; Dynamic structural analysis