Seismic energy distribution in dual SCBF-SMF structures: Enhanced damage assessment analysis

The design of dual structures that integrate a special moment frame (SMF) with a special concentrically braced frame (SCBF) presents significant challenges in determining the extent of lateral force dissipation contributed by each frame. Traditional damage assessment methods, such as the Peak Inter-Story Drift Ratio (PIDR) and the Residual Inter-Story Drift Ratio (RIDR), frequently lack the capacity to elucidate the participation rates of SMF and SCBF frames during seismic events. This study addresses this limitation by employing a novel damage assessment approach based on the energy dissipation profile across the structure's height, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of the energy dissipation contributions of each frame. To achieve this, six building archetypes—ranging from 3 to 15 stories—were designed in accordance with the ASCE 7-22 and AISC 341-22 codes and subjected to nonlinear analysis using far-fault FEMA P695 earthquake data within the OpenSees software platform. The findings indicate that in structures where strength predominates the design, the majority of energy dissipation occurs through the hysteretic energy of the braces, with the ends of the SMF beams showing limited contribution to seismic energy dissipation. Conversely, in building archetypes where drift dominates in the design procedure, both ends of the spring of SMF beams significantly contribute to the dissipation of input seismic energy as hysteretic energy, functioning synergistically with the bracing frame. • Evaluation of the seismic energy absorbed during an earthquake event of dual steel SCBF-SMF frames. • Distribution of energy dissipation of dual steel SCBF-SMF structures over height of the building archetypes. • The distribution of seismic input energy ( E i ) dissipation for the global demands of structures. • The distribution of hysteretic energy ( E h ) for the member-based demands. • An energy-based damage determination method, offering improvements, reduces reliance on traditional peak inter-story drift ratios.