Nonlinear seismic analysis of space structures with partially restrained connections

An efficient and robust method is developed using the assumed stress- based finite-element method in which the tangent stiffness can be expressed in explicit form and fewer elements are needed to model a structure. For the dynamic and seismic analyses, three major sources of damping are considered. They are viscous damping, hysteretic damping in the PR connections, and the hysteretic damping at the plastic hinges, if plastic hinges are developed in the structure. Proper consideration of PR connections is essential in modeling the realistic dynamic and seismic behavior of structures. Numerical results show that the presence of partially restrained connections may not cause failure of a structure due to insufficient strength but may make serviceability constraints, e.g., the lateral deformation, more critical. -from Authors