The Technical Regulations for Constructions of 2008 (D.M. 14/01/2008) are the final step of the development of the new seismic code which has taken place in Italy in the last five years: the O.P.C.M. 3274 in 2003, the O.P.C.M. 3431 and D.M. 14/09/2005 in 2005 and, finally the D.M. 14/01/2008 in 2008. This code has introduced important innovative seismic design practices for building structures, such as performance based design, use of strength criteria based on limit state method instead of allowable stress method, definition of high and low ductility structures, a new and very articulated framework for the evaluation of the design seismic force, capacity design criteria, etc. In this paper the regulations provided by the new Italian seismic code for steel moment-resisting frames and for concentrically braced frames are analysed and compared with those of the old Italian seismic code (D.M. 16/01/1996). The outcome of the comparison depends on the structural type, however the obtained results show that often lateral strength demand stipulated by the new code is less conservative.
