2ND-ORDER REFINED PLASTIC-HINGE ANALYSIS FOR FRAME DESIGN .2.

This paper discusses several issues pertinent to the use of advanced a nalysis for design of two-dimensional steel-frame structures. In parti cular, the accuracy of the elastic-plastic-hinge method is examined, a nd its range of application and limitations are identified. An approac h called the refined plastic-hinge method, the formulation of which ha s been presented in a companion paper, is recommended and its design i mplications are discussed. Case studies are presented to demonstrate t he validity of the refined plastic-hinge method in predicting the stre ngth and stability of individual member and overall system strength. A lso, the performance of this analysis model is evaluated by comparing the results with those from elastic-plastic-hinge and refined plastic- zone analyses. The goal is to illustrate the qualities and limitations of the plastic-hinge-based analysis methods with regard to their acce ptability for use in predicting the limiting strength and behavior of steel members and frames.