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Type of moment resisting frame to be used, depends upon the seismic zone or category of the area in which the building is located, as permitted the applicable design code (UBC, IBC etc). In ETABS, you may select the 'sway' type for applicable moment resisting frame system (e.g., 'Sway special' for SMRF, and 'Sway intermediate' for IMRF etc.), from Preferences, BEFORE starting analysis of your structural model. Regards.

1. You can check in ETABS analysis manual pdf about these things. These options enforce reinforcement limits according to the selected category. For example if you select sway intermediate/special, ETABS will check for reinf limitations given in ACI chapter 21. 2. Codes explicitly state that, please read again UBC or ASCE. You will find the limits of 0.020/0.025 for seismic. For Wind read commentary of wind chapter at the end of ASCE 7-05/10. Usually the limit is H/400 but you must know on which W to check this limit. Is W service or ultimate. Read about it in the same commentary chapter. Otherwise, you can check this article. Always search the topics before posting a new one. It helps us.

In my opinion, the main question is that how you want to proceed with this. Do you want to use normal approach. Or you want to have Push Over Analysis or Non Linear Time History Analysis. After this decision it will be easy for you to have focused what you want to do. Thanks Muneeb

Following are the relevant ASCE standards: 1. Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings (ASCE/SEI 31-03) (http://ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/9780784406700 ) 2. Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings (ASCE/SEI 41-06) (http://ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/9780784408841) 3. Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings (ASCE/SEI 41-13) (http://ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/9780784412855 ) Whereas the following document is a pre-standard to ASCE 31, and may be useful in case of non-availability of above ASCE standards: Fema-310 Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Buildings, 1998 (https://www.wbdg.org/ccb/DHS/ARCHIVES/fema310.pdf) Regards.