Influence of the longitudinal steel ration in RC beams and steel reinforcement ration in RC slabs on the seismic energy dissipation mechanisms for a MR RC frame structure

Abstract

The MR RC frame structures present a special engineering interest regarding the practical mode of ductile seismic response, through plastic hinges formation in specially designed RC beams end areas and inferior zones of the RC columns from the ground floor. Thus, it was proposed to verify the capacity design concept for this structural system type through seismic response observation of the optimal MR RC frame model. Until this objective is achieved, it was proposed to perform a complex analytical study, which has as finality the current research paper. Thus, in the previous analytical studies the influence of the concrete strength class, the influence of the longitudinal steel reinforcement ratio in RC columns and influence of the RC beams cross sections on the local and global seismic response for a group of RC frame models were analysed. In these conditions, the present paper contains the results obtained in previous research papers and concludes the current analytical study through the observation of the effectiveness of the inferior longitudinal steel reinforcement ratio in the RC beams on the cracking mode, in potentially plastic areas. Finally, it was specified that the K_7 RC frame model represents the optimal structural system for the experimental test.