TPMC Design of Gravity Load‐Governed and Seismic‐Governed Moment Resisting Frames

Abstract The Theory of Plastic Mechanism Control (TPMC) offers a robust approach for designing Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs) to ensure global collapse mechanisms under seismic events. This study focuses on the optimization of MRFs where beam design is either governed by gravity loads or by seismic forces. The proposed procedure has been applied to a regular 3D steel structure by means of the Train of Frames approach, analysing frames in both principal directions. In particular, both the frames subjected to vertical loads—being orthogonal to the secondary beam orientation—and those parallel to the secondary beams have been taken into account. Comparative analyses, including non‐linear pushover and dynamic analyses, were mainly aimed at highlighting the collapse mechanism developed, both in the case of the Train of Frames and of the full 3D structure. These analyses confirm the efficacy of the TPMC in optimizing the seismic response of steel structures, ensuring a global collapse mechanism while minimizing the size and weight of structural elements, particularly in terms of column sections.