Preliminary study on the seismic performance of hybrid steel structures with truss lightweight girders and plug-and-play connections

Hybrid structures are efficient and economical systems that can be successfully adopted for modular buildings. Novel hybrid industrialized and modular buildings with truss girder made of lightweight steel profiles and connected to tubular columns by means of innovative plug-and-play joints has been recently proposed within the RFCS INNO3DJOINTS with the aim to develop solution ensuring fast-track construction and increasing the quality of the finished product. In this paper, a preliminary study on the seismic behaviour of these innovative hybrid frames equipped with plug-and-play joints is summarized. Nonlinear static and dynamic analyses were performed on 2D models of a reference structural archetype. The obtained results showed that this type of structure may also be used in low seismicity zones.