Structural Integrity Provisions of the Next AISC Specification [N33A]

Structural integrity has become a major issue for structural design and building code writers all over the world. Part of the considerations comes from collapse events such as the World Trade Center disaster, other factors emanate from the needs to assess risk and to ensure proper structural performance. Will the beam end shear connections perform adequately when a fire causes the member to deform into a catenary? How does one design for tie forces? Are connections capable of deforming sufficiently without prompting failures in adjacent structural componants?

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