Analytical studies to evaluate the seismic response of reinforced concrete moment resisting frame structures,with and without joint deformations, demonstrated that the predicted inelastic behavior was not accurate when the joint region was assumed to be rigid. One of the main purposes of the research program was to develop ajoint model that accounts for deterioration of shear strength and stiffness within the connection region andconcentrated rotation due to rebar slip. The experimental data on joint distortion was used to develop and verifyan analytical model that includes shear deformation and concentrated joint rotation components. The developedjoint deformation model was then used in the nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete buildings that provide different frame configurations and inelastic responses. The structures were subjected to inelastic dynamic timehistory analyses, using a variety of earthquake records that represent different levels of seismic risk. It was observed that if a deformable joint model was not included in the structural model, story drifts wereunderestimated significantly. Results of the nonlinear analyses for a selected building and brief information on the member modeling, including the joint model developed for this research program, are presented in this paper.
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