Seismic Performance of an Innovative Rocking Frame Structure With Spring Support Connections

ABSTRACT In order to minimize the deformation and damage of conventional frame structures, particularly those with large height‐to‐width ratios, under strong earthquakes, and to prevent the development of weak stories, an innovative rocking frame structural system is proposed. The structural system is made up of a rocking frame and its spring supports. During an earthquake, the vertical deformation in the spring supports causes the structure to pivot and rock around the hinged base of the frame, reducing the seismic response. This study takes a nine‐story rocking steel frame structure as a case, establishes a finite element model using SAP2000 software, and performs dynamic time history and pushover analysis to investigate its seismic performance, considering parameter changes such as earthquake intensity, the aspect ratio of the structure, and design changes of the rocking component. The results indicate that the reasonably designed rocking structure can significantly reduce interstory drifts and residual interstory drifts, achieve more uniform interstory deformation, and exhibit satisfactory self‐centering and low‐damage characteristics. Properly reducing the elastic stiffness of the spring supports can further improve its seismic performance.