An Experimental Study on the Inelastic Behavior of Steel Frames Subjected to Vertical and Horizontal Loading

Abstract

An experimental study was made of the behavior of single bay, one- and two-storyed frames, using mild steel models with wide flange sections. A varying horizontal force was applied at the top of a frame model under a constant vertical load on the columns. From the horizontal force-displacement relation, a considerable reduction was observed in the restoring force due to the column loads, indicating the importance of the unstable character due to dead loads on the horizontal restoring force in tall buildings. In general the experimental results show more favourable behavior for a large deformation than the elastic-perfectly plastic theory predicts and a rough estimation of the strainhardening effects accounts for this behavior in a reasonable way.