Large-scale testing of steel sway frames

This paper is concerned with the experimental investigation that is currently in progress at the Civil Engineering Department, National University of Singapore to study the ultimate load behaviour of large-scale steel sway frames subjected to the combined action of gravity loading and horizontal loading. A series of experiments has been planned to investigate the effect of various parameters such as joint flexibility, beam to column stiffness ratio and vertical to horizontal load ratio. Rigid and semirigid frames will be tested to failure and the collapse behaviour will be studied in detail. The details of the test frames, test rig and instrumentation are presented herein and the procedure of the test to failure of the frame is described. Test results in respect of six of the frames tested are given in this paper.