Mechanical compression release device in steel bracing system for retrofitting RC frames

The development of an innovative structural system with satisfactory seismic performance of braced systems is an important and challenging area of interest in structural engineering. In this paper, a device that can release the compressive force in the bracing members is developed, and its performance is evaluated. For comparison, four steel braced RC frames were constructed and tested under reverse cyclic loads. Two of them had different amounts of bracing and the other two had the same amount of bracing but incorporated different type of device, called compression release device, which is developed and described in this paper. It can be concluded from the test results that the newly developed device can effectively be used in steel braced systems to prevent buckling failure of the bracing members. Therefore, the device enhances the ductility of brace-framed systems by allowing an adequate capacity for energy dissipation.

Shaking table test and numerical analysis of a 1:12 scale model of a special concentrically braced steel frame with pinned connections

This paper describes shaking table tests of a 1：12 scale model of a special concentrically braced steel frame with pinned connections, which was fabricated according to a one-bay braced frame selected from a typical main factory building of a large thermal power plant. In order to investigate the seismic performance of this type of structure, several ground motion accelerations with different levels for seismic intensity Ⅷ, based on the Chinese Code for Seismic Design of Buildings, were selected to excite the model. The results show that the design methods of the members and the connections are adequate and that the structural system will perform well in regions of high seismicity. In addition to the tests, numerical simulations were also conducted and the results showed good agreement with the test results. Thus, the numerical model is shown to be accurate and the beam element can be used to model this structural system.

Optimization of design parameters for controlled rocking steel braced dual-frames

A controlled rocking concentrically steel braced frame(CR-CSBF)is introduced as an alternative to conventional methods to prevent major structural damage during large earthquakes.It is equipped with elastic post-tensioned(PT)cables and replaceable devices or fuses to provide overturning resistance and dissipate energy,respectively.Although CR-CSBFs are not officially legalized in globally valid codes for new buildings,it is expected to be presented in them in the near future.The main goal of this study is to determine the optimal design parameters consist of the yield strength and modulus of elasticity of the fuse,the initial force of the PT cable,and the gravity load on the rocking column,considering different heights of the frame,spanning ratios and ground motion types for dual-configuration CR-CSBF.Nonlinear time-history analyses are performed in OpenSees.This study aims to define the optimal input variables as effective design parameters of CR-CSBFs by comparing four seismic responses consisting of story drift,roof displacement,roof acceleration and base shear,and also using the Euclidean metric optimization method.Despite the previous research,this study is innovative and first of its kind.The results demonstrate that the optimal design parameters are variable for various conditions.

A study on the seismic behavior of a retrofitted building based on nonlinear static and dynamic analyses

This study describes the seismic performance of an existing five storey reinforced concrete building which represents the typical properties of low-rise non-ductile buildings in Turkey. The effectiveness of shear walls and the steel bracings in retrofitting the building was examined through nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. By using the nonlinear static analysis, retrofitted buildings seismic performances under lateral seismic load were compared with each other. Moreover, the performance points and response levels of the existing and retrofitting cases were determined by way of the capacity-spectrum method described in ATC-40 (1996). For the nonlinear dynamic analysis the records were selected to represent wide ranges of duration and frequency content. Considering the change in the stiffness and the energy dissipation capacities, the performance of the existing and retrofitted buildings were evaluated in terms of story drifts and damage states. It was found that each earthquake record exhibited its own peculiarities, dictated by frequency content, duration, sequence of peaks and their amplitude. The seismic performance of retrofitted buildings resulted in lower displacements and higher energy dissipation capacity depending mainly on the properties of the ground motions and the retrofitting strategies. Moreover, severe structural damage (irreparable or collapse) was observed for the existing building. However, buildings with retrofit alternatives exhibited lower damage levels changing from no damage to irreparable damage states.

Response of a 2-story test-bed structure for the seismic evaluation of nonstructural systems

A full-scale, two-story, two-by-one bay, steel braced-frame was subjected to a number of unidirectional ground motions using three shake tables at the UNR-NEES site. The test-bed frame was designed to study the seismic performance of nonstructural systems including steel-framed gypsum partition walls, suspended ceilings and fire sprinkler systems. The frame can be configured to perform as an elastic or inelastic system to generate large floor accelerations or large inter story drift, respectively. In this study, the dynamic performance of the linear and nonlinear test-beds was comprehensively studied. The seismic performance of nonstructural systems installed in the linear and nonlinear test-beds were assessed during extreme excitations. In addition, the dynamic interactions of the test-bed and installed nonstructural systems are investigated.

Seismic performance testing of reinforcement concrete frames strengthened with Y-eccentrically brace

Two single-storey single-span reinforcement concrete （RC） frame structures strengthened with Y-eccentrically brace were designed and manufactured to be 1/3 scale. The pseudo-dynamic testing method was used to study the mechanical characteristics and the seismic performance under E1-Centro earthquake action with different peak acceleration adjusted by China＇s Code for Seismic Design of Buildings. The test results indicate that RC frame structures strengthened with Y- eccentrically steel brace present perfect seismic performance under strong earthquake action owing to the good ductility, strong bearing capability and fine energy absorbing capability provided by energy dissipation element and high lateral stiffness provided by diagonal braces. The seismic performance is also affected by the length of outsourcing steel at the joint between energy dissipation element of eccentric steel brace and RC frame beam. The joint should be considerably designed to make sure that shear failure can firstly occur in energy dissipation element.

On braced trapezoidal corrugated steel shear panels: An experimental and numerical study

In this study,a new system consisting of a combination of braces and steel infill panels called the braced corrugated steel shear panel(BCSSP)is presented.To obtain the hysteretic behavior of the proposed system,the quasistatic cyclic performances of two experimental specimens were first evaluated.The finite element modeling method was then verified based on the obtained experimental results.Additional numerical evaluations were carried out to investigate the effects of different parameters on the system.Subsequently,a relationship was established to estimate the buckling shear strength of the system without considering residual stresses.The results obtained from the parametric study indicate that the corrugated steel shear panel(CSSP)with the specifications of a=30 mm,t=2 mm,andθ=90°had the highest energy dissipation capacity and ultimate strength while the CSSP with the specifications of a=30 mm,t=2 mm,andθ=30°had the highest initial stiffness.It can thus be concluded that the latter CSSP has the best structural performance and that increasing the number of corrugations,corrugation angle,and plate thickness and decreasing the sub-panel width generally enhance the performance of CSSPs in terms of the stability of their hysteretic behaviors.

Probabilistic safety assessment of self-centering steel braced frame

The main drawback of conventional braced frames is implicitly accepting structural damage under the design earthquake load, which leads to considerable economic losses. Controlled rocking self-centering system as a modem low-damage system is capable of minimizing the drawbacks of conventional braced frames. This paper quantifies main limit states and investigates the seismic performance of self-centering braced frame using a Probabilistic Safety Assessment procedure. Margin of safety, confidence level, and mean annual frequency of the self-centering archetypes for their main limit states, including PT yield, fuse fracture, and global collapse, are established and are compared with their acceptance criteria. Considering incorporating aleatory examined. Results of the investigation indicate that the provide the adequate margin of safety against exceeding and epistemic uncertainties, the efficiency of the system is design of low- and mid-rise self-centering archetypes could the undesirable limit-states.

Topology optimization and seismic collapse assessment of shape memory alloy(SMA)-braced frames:Effectiveness of Fe-based SMAs

This paper presents a seismic topology optimization study of steel braced frames with shape memory alloy(SMA)braces.Optimal SMA-braced frames(SMA-BFs)with either Fe-based SMA or NiTi braces are determined in a performance-based seismic design context.The topology optimization is performed on 5-and 10-story SMA-BFs considering the placement,length,and cross-sectional area of SMA bracing members.Geometric,strength,and performance-based design constraints are considered in the optimization.The seismic response and collapse safety of topologically optimal SMA-BFs are assessed according to the FEMA P695 methodology.A comparative study on the optimal SMA-BFs is also presented in terms of total relative cost,collapse capacity,and peak and residual story drift.The results demonstrate that Fe-based SMA-BFs exhibit higher collapse capacity and more uniform distribution of lateral displacement over the frame height while being more cost-effective than NiTi braced frames.In addition to a lower unit price compared to NiTi,Fe-based SMAs reduce SMA material usage.In frames with Fe-based SMA braces,the SMA usage is reduced by up to 80%.The results highlight the need for using SMAs with larger recoverable strains.

Investigation on a mitigation scheme to resist the progressive collapse of reinforced concrete buildings

This study presents the investigation of the approach which was presented by Thaer M.Saeed Alrudaini to provide the alternate load path to redistribute residual loads and preventing from the potential progressive collapse of RC buildings.It was proposed to transfer the residual loads upwards above the failed column of RC buildings by vertical cables hanged at the top to a hat steel braced frame seated on top of the building which in turn redistributes the residual loads to the adjacent columns.In this study a ten-storey regular structural building has been considered to investigate progressive collapse potential.Structural design is based on ACI 318-08 concrete building code for special RC frames and the nonlinear dynamic analysis is carried out using SAP2000 software,following UFC4-023-03 document.Nine independent failure scenarios are adopted in the investigation,including six external removal cases in different floors and three removal cases in the first floor.A new detail is proposed by using barrel and wedge to improve residual forces transfer to the cables after removal of the columns.Simulation results show that progressive collapse of building that resulted from potential failure of columns located in floors can be efficiently resisted by using this method.