Investigation of seismic rehabilitation of steel buildings with semi-rigid connections

The Khorjinee connection is a special connection that was widely used in the construction of low-rise steel structures in Iran before the national seismic code was established. However, catastrophic experiences from recent earthquakes have shown that these connections are highly vulnerable to seismic loads. In fact, it is recognised that such connections should be classified as non-seismic, semi-rigid connections with unknown rotational stiffness. As a result of this issue, many structures with these connections may need to be rehabilitated to ensure their safety in future earthquakes. In this study the dynamic properties of a half-scale model of a four-storey steel structure with Khorjinee connections were determined by a forced vibration test. The structure was then separately rehabilitated by means of four different bracing configurations (X bracing, chevron bracing, eccentrically braced frames (EBFs) and knee braces) and the structural responses were investigated. The results, which include the natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios for each case, present a realistic approach to enable engineers to select the best way of strengthening steel structures with Khorjinee connections according to diverse structural limitations. The structural displacement ratios were found to be significantly larger in structures with EBFs and knee bracing systems when the number of braced spans is high compared with the first mode.