What Makes a "Special Moment Frame" Special? [E15a]

The design of Special Moment Frames (SMF)--and in particular, their connections--has undergone a significant overhaul in the post-Northridge era. This session focuses on critical aspects of SMF systems and their connections to ensure a desired ductile behavior and dissipation of energy. Seismic design philosophy, the design provisions of AISC 341, and connection requirements for SMF systems will be discussed; and finally the results of a full-scale experimental test on SMF connections with a comparison to an analytical model will be presented.

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