Seismic performance evaluation of CFS strap-braced buildings through experimental tests

Lightweight steel (LWS) buildings, made of cold-formed steel (CFS) systems, have many advantages and are often employed in seismic areas as low- and medium rise buildings. However, in Europe the codification does not provide specific rules for seismic design of those structures. In light of this, the University of Naples “Federico II” has recently completed a research project in cooperation with Lamieredil S.p.A. Italian Company, aimed to investigate the seismic behaviour of non-dissipative strap-braced structures. The partnership between academia and industry also led to development of a patented system. This paper discusses the selection and design process of the case study buildings and the overall experimental activity, going from small-scale tests of components, to static tests of full-scale walls, up to shake-table tests of two reduced scale mock-ups, which differ only for the adopted floor typology. The influence of floor typology on the seismic response of CFS strap-braced structures is also provided. Tests results confirmed that, although no specific seismic rules were employed, strap-braced structures had a good seismic response achieving high inter-storey drifts without showing severe damages.