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Within European Research Project “FREEDAM” supported by RFCS a design procedure for MRFs equipped with friction dampers has been developed. In particular, beam-to-column joints are equipped with friction dampers located at the bottom flange level namely “FREEDAM” dampers. Therefore, all the connections are conceived in order to prevent structural damage. A prototype structure has been designed according to a design procedure assuring a collapse mechanism of global type whose name is Theory of Plastic Mechanism Control, and its seismic performances have been investigated by means of IDA analyses in a companion paper.

The work herein presented is devoted to the validation of TPMC design procedure applied to steel MRFs equipped with FREEDAM dampers located at beam-to-column joints. The seismic performances evaluations of the designed structure have been carried out by means of both Push-over analysis and Incremental Dynamic Analysis. In particular, the Push-over analysis aims to confirm the real development of a collapse mechanism of global type, while, through IDA analysis, Maximum Interstorey Drift and Top Residual Displacement performed by the designed structures have been pointed out. For this reason, a MRF whose design procedure by TPMC is detailed in a companion paper has been subjected to both push-over and IDA analysis.