Advanced analysis of steel framed buildings using the Brazilian standard and Eurocode-3

In this paper, a refined plastic hinge approach is modified to account for the tangent modulus model, as recommended by the European buckling curves for steel columns, which are the same as the strength curves for columns specified in the Brazilian code for steel buildings-NBR-8800. The computational programme was developed on the basis of the inelastic stability function of the beam-column element, and it can be used to assess the steel frame behaviour, including gradual yielding associated with residual stresses, second-order effects, geometrical imperfections and the flexibility of beam-to-column connections. The numerical results obtained are verified by comparison with the plastic zone approach, as previously presented by other researchers. The proposed analysis is to be applied in the Brazilian context. It has large advantages over conventional linear elastic procedures and our findings indicate that it is a reliable tool to use in daily design practice.