An assessment of IS codal provisions for the design of low rise steel moment frames through incremental dynamic analysis

Abstract

The current Indian Standard (IS) code for seismic design of structures (IS 1893:2002) specifies the use of time history analysis for structures with height greater than 40m. However, for structures less than 40m it recommends the concept of equivalent static analysis. This study attempts to investigate the adequacy of the current design code when it comes to the actual evaluation of structures shorter than 40 m subjected to seismic loading using dynamic analysis as opposed to the code specified static analysis. Incremental dynamic analysis, which subjects a structure to a progressively increasing series of intensity measures, has been adopted here for the purpose. Three 2D moment resisting steel structures under the 1991 Uttarkashi and the 2001 Bhuj earthquakes (both of which predate the current IS1893) have been studied—a single storeyed portal frame, a 2 storey 3 bay frame and a 3 storey 2 bay frame. While it can be argued that two records are never enough for any generalization, and that only a full probabilistic analysis can determine if the limiting collapse prevention probability has been exceeded for these structures, the IS code in both cases does significantly under predict the seismic demands on the structures. At the same time, and perhaps why the codal provisions usually work, the structural capacities are in most cases underestimated as well. These suggest that a thorough study is in order and that there is scope for rationalization in the IS codal provisions.