Preliminary assessment of self-centering rocking steel systems for lightweight buildings

Building resilience is a growing priority in modern structural engineering, prompting the development of low-damage solutions like rocking systems. Self-centering rocking systems offer significant advantages by minimizing residual deformations and structural damage, ensuring rapid post-event functionality. This paper investigates re-centering rocking systems for lightweight steel structures, applicable to both new constructions and seismic retrofitting of existing buildings. The focus is on in-plane analysis of perimeter frames using controlled rocking mechanisms, enhanced with post-tensioned tendons or bars and energy dissipators such as friction or yielding devices. This preliminary study considers the possible applicability of this concept to a new lightweight 3 floors steel building by lumping the rocking behaviour at the first building level. Nonlinear time history analyses at various intensity levels are carried out to highlight the performance of the system. While initial findings highlight the potential of this structural solution to enhance building seismic performance, further research is required to optimize its implementation in practice.