Direct analysis for performance-based design of steel and composite structures

摘要

There is a worldwide trend for modern design specifications to depart from prescriptive methods and to move towards performance-based design approaches. The gradual shift towards performance-based design increases the need to have efficient and robust direct analysis methods to assess the global performance of structures. Considerable research has been conducted on nonlinear analysis methods in steel and composite members and frames over the last decade. Whilst their use has been limited to the investigation of structural failure and detailed member behaviour, the emergence of high-speed computers and pre- and post-processing graphic software has led to an increased reliance of direct analysis for designing large-scale structural systems. This paper reviews some of the principles related to the use of direct analysis for performance-based design of steel and composite frames, and discusses the issues that are essential for implementation in practice. Illustrative examples are given to show the benefits of using direct analysis for evaluating the overall performance of structural systems in terms of serviceability, ultimate strength and also under exceptional conditions (accidental design situations).