• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.619-637
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• 2015

A field based non-destructive hardness method is being developed to determine plastic strain in steel elements subjected to seismic loading. The focus of this study is on the active links of eccentrically braced frames (EBFs). The 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquake series, especially the very intense February 22 shaking, which was the first earthquake worldwide to push complete EBF systems into their inelastic state, generating a moderate to high level of plastic strain in EBF active links for a range of buildings from 3 to 23 storeys in height. Plastic deformation was confined to the active links. This raised two important questions: what was the extent of plastic deformation and what effect does that have on post-earthquake steel properties? A non-destructive hardness test method is being used to determine a relationship between hardness and plastic strain in active link beams. Active links from the earthquake affected, 23-storey Pacific Tower building in Christchurch are being analysed in the field and laboratory. Test results to date show clear evidence that this method is able to give a good relationship between plastic strain and demand. This paper presents significant findings from this project to investigate the relationship between hardness and plastic strain that warrant publication prior to the completion of the project. Principal of these is the discovery that hot rolled steel beams carry manufacturing induced plastic strains, in regions of the webs, of up to 5%.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제57권6호
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• pp.1051-1064
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• 2016

Link-to-column connections in Eccentrically Braced Frames (EBFs) have critical role in their safety and seismic performance. Accordingly, in this study, contribution of supplemental stiffeners on hysteretic behavior of the link-to-column connection is investigated. Considered stiffeners are placed on both sides and parallel to the link web between the column face and the first stiffener of the link. Hysteretic behaviors of the link beams with supplemental stiffeners are numerically investigated using a pre-validated numerical model in ANSYS. It turned out that supplemental stiffeners can change energy dissipation mechanism of intermediate links from shear-flexure to shear. Both rectangular and trapezoidal supplemental stiffeners are studied. Moreover, optimal placement of the supplemental stiffeners is also investigated. Obtained results indicate a discrepancy of less than 9% in maximum link shear of the numerical and experimental specimens. This indicates that the numerical results are in good agreement with those obtained from the test. Trapezoidal supplemental stiffeners improve rotational capacity of the link. Moreover, use of two supplemental stiffeners at both ends of the link can more effectively improve hysteretic behavior of intermediate links. Supplemental stiffeners would also alleviate the imposed demands on the connections. This latter feature is more pronounced in the case of two supplemental stiffeners at both ends of the link.