Built-up hollow rectangular sections used for SMRF System

[ArcTangent]

Good day.
Are built-up hollow rectangular sections (i.e. girder, column) used as primary structural elements of Special Moment Resisting Frames (SMRF) permitted in high seismic zone? If so, is there study or prototype cyclic test for beam-column joint?

 

[KootK]

This won't be super helpful but might get you pointed in the right direction. My understanding is that tubes are much more popular as moment frame members in Japan than they are in many other parts of the world such as North America. Were I in your shoes, I'd launch a GoogleFu invasion of the Japanese structural engineering literature.

 

[driftLimiter]

Using HSS for a moment frame is one thing, use built up shapes is a whole other animal. One sort of compromise would be to use WF beams and HSS columns with through plate connection and reduced beam section. To me this is a happy medium, and there is literature on the connections.

The ductility requirements, local and global need to be satisfied. And the connection has to meet significant requirements (hence the prequalified connections in the US).

I am interested to see the outcome of this search.