This paper presents elastic and inelastic response spectra of strong motion accelerograms recorded during the 1988 Saguenay earthquake. Comparisons are made with the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) 1990 lateral forces requirements for the seismic resistant design of short-period structures. The use of a period-dependent force modification factor is proposed to take advantage of the energy dissipation capacity of short-period structures on a more rational basis. The seismic response of a typical low-rise steel building designed according to the NBC 1990 and CAN3-S16.1-M89 is then investigated. It is shown that to obtain a realistic picture of the ductility demand of low-rise buildings, the structural overstrength, that is, the supplied strength in excess of the seismic design base shear, should be explicitly considered in the design process.

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