• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제36권2호
• /
• pp.197-211
• /
• 2020

Application of the steel ring as a type of seismic fuse has been one of the efforts made by researchers in recent years aiming to enhance the ductility of the bracing systems which in turn, possesses various advantages and disadvantages. Accordingly, to alleviate these disadvantages, an innovative bracing system with a diamond scheme equipped with a steel ring is introduced in this paper. In this system, the braces and yielding circular damper act in parallel whose main functionality is to increase ductility, energy absorption and mitigate drawbacks of the existing bracing systems, in which the braces and yielding circular damper act in parallel. To conduct the experimental tests, specimens with three types of rigid, semi-rigid and pinned connections were built and subjected to cyclic loading so that their performance could be analyzed. Promisingly, the results indicate both great applicability and efficiency of the proposed system in energy absorption and ductility. Moreover, it was concluded that as the braces and damper are in parallel, the use of a steel ring with smaller size and thickness would result in higher energy absorption and load-resisting capacity when compared to the other existing systems. Finally, to assess the potential of numerically modeling the proposed system, its finite element model was simulated by ABAQUS software and observed that there is a great agreement between the numerical and experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• 제47권6호
• /
• pp.881-898
• /
• 2013

This paper describes analytical investigation into a new dual function system including a couple of shear links which are connected in series using chevron bracing capable to correlate its performance with magnitude of earthquakes. In this proposed system, called Chevron Knee-Vertical Link Beam braced system (CK-VLB), the inherent hysteretic damping of vertical link beam placed above chevron bracing is exclusively utilized to dissipate the energy of moderate earthquakes through web plastic shear distortion while the rest of the structural elements are in elastic range. Under strong earthquakes, plastic deformation of VLB will be halted via restraining it by Stopper Device (SD) and further imposed displacement subsequently causes yielding of the knee elements located at the bottom of chevron bracing to significantly increase the energy dissipation capacity level. In this paper first by studying the knee yielding mode, a suitable shape and angle for diagonal-knee bracing is proposed. Then finite elements models are developed. Monotonic and cyclic analyses have been conducted to compare dissipation capacities on three individual models of passive systems (CK-VLB, knee braced system and SPS system) by General-purpose finite element program ABAQUS in which a bilinear kinematic hardening model is incorporated to trace the material nonlinearity. Also quasi-static cyclic loading based on the guidelines presented in ATC-24 has been imposed to different models of CK-VLB with changing of vertical link beam section in order to find prime effectiveness on structural frames. Results show that CK-VLB system exhibits stable behavior and is capable of dissipating a significant amount of energy in two separate levels of lateral forces due to different probable earthquakes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제34권6호
• /
• pp.891-907
• /
• 2020

Many studies reveal that during destructive earthquakes, most of the structures enter the inelastic phase. The amount of hysteretic energy in a structure is considered as an important criterion in structure design and an important indicator for the degree of its damage or vulnerability. The hysteretic energy value wasted after the structure yields is the most important component of the energy equation that affects the structures system damage thereof. Controlling this value of energy leads to controlling the structure behavior. Here, for the first time, the hysteretic behavior and energy dissipation capacity are assessed at presence of elliptical braced resisting frames (ELBRFs), through an experimental study and numerical analysis of FEM. The ELBRFs are of lateral load systems, when located in the middle bay of the frame and connected properly to the beams and columns, in addition to improving the structural behavior, do not have the problem of architectural space in the bracing systems. The energy dissipation capacity is assessed in four frames of small single-story single-bay ELBRFs at ½ scale with different accessories, and compared with SMRF and X-bracing systems. The frames are analyzed through a nonlinear FEM and a quasi-static cyclic loading. The performance features here consist of hysteresis behavior, plasticity factor, energy dissipation, resistance and stiffness variation, shear strength and Von-Mises stress distribution. The test results indicate that the good behavior of the elliptical bracing resisting frame improves strength, stiffness, ductility and dissipated energy capacity in a significant manner.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제26권5호
• /
• pp.573-582
• /
• 2018

This study develops and numerically verifies an innovative seismically resilient bracing system. The proposed self-centering tension-only brace (SC-TOB) is composed of a tensioning system to provide a self-centering response, a frictional device for energy dissipation, and a high-strength steel cable as a bracing element. It is considered to be an improvement over the traditional self-centering braces in terms of lightness, high bearing capacity, load relief, and double-elongation capacity. In this paper, the mechanics of the system are first described. Governing equations deduced from the developed analytical model to predict the behavior of the system are then provided. The results from a finite element validation confirm that the SC-TOB performs as analytically predicted. Key parameters including the activation displacement and load, the self-centering parameter, and equivalent viscous damping are investigated, and their influences on the system behavior are discussed. Finally, a design procedure considering controlled softening behavior is developed and illustrated through a design example.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• 제3권5호
• /
• pp.749-766
• /
• 2012

Structural control through integration of passive damping devices within the building structure has been increasingly implemented internationally in the last years and has proven to be a most promising strategy for earthquake safety. In the present paper an alternative configuration of an innovative energy dissipation mechanism that consists of slender tension only bracing members with closed loop and a hysteretic damper is investigated in its dynamic behavior. The implementation of the adaptable dual control system, ADCS, in frame structures enables a dual function of the component members, leading to two practically uncoupled systems, i.e., the primary frame, responsible for the normal vertical and horizontal forces and the closed bracing-damper mechanism, for the earthquake forces and the necessary energy dissipation. Three representative international earthquake motions of differing frequency contents, duration and peak ground acceleration have been considered for the numerical verification of the effectiveness and properties of the SDOF systems with the proposed ADCS-configuration. The control mechanism may result in significant energy dissipation, when the geometrical and mechanical properties, i.e., stiffness and yield force of the integrated damper, are predefined. An optimum damper ratio, DR, defined as the ratio of the stiffness to the yield force of the hysteretic damper, is proposed to be used along with the stiffness factor of the damper's- to the primary frame's stiffness, in order for the control mechanism to achieve high energy dissipation and at the same time to prevent any increase of the system's maximum base shear and relative displacements. The results are summarized in a preliminary design methodology for ADCS.

• 대한토목학회논문집
• /
• 제33권3호
• /
• pp.875-888
• /
• 2013

최근에는 초탄성 형상기억합금을 구조물 일부에 설치하여 지진과 같은 외부 충격하중으로 인해 발생되는 영구적인 소성 변형을 줄이고 자동치유가 가능한 변위제어 시스템을 개발하는 연구가 활발하게 진행되고 있다. 초탄성 형상 기억합금은 상당량의 변위를 가하더라도 별도의 열처리 없이도 상온에서 단지 하중만을 제거하여도 원형으로 복원이 가능한 독특한 합성 금속재료이다. 뼈대 구조물에서 변형이 집중이 되는 부위에 기존에 사용된 강재를 대신하여 초탄성 형상기억합금을 사용한다면 시스템의 복원 효과를 극대화 시킬 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 내진성능이 우수한 좌굴방지 가새프레임에 초탄성 형상기억합금 소재를 접목시킨 새로운 구조 시스템을 제안하고 자 한다. 본 연구에서 제안된 구조시스템의 성능을 검증하기 위하여 현재 사용되는 설계코드를 참고하여 6층의 가새프레임 빌딩을 설계를 하고 2차원적인 유한요소 프레임 모델에 각각의 지진 위험도 레벨의 가속도 데이터를 사용하여 비선형 동적 해석을 실시하였다. 해석결과를 바탕으로 초탄성 형상기억합금 가새시스템을 사용한 프레임 구조물과 기존의 가새시스템을 성능적인 측면에서 서로 비교하였다. 해석결과는 지진하중 이후에 초탄성 형상기억합금 가새시스템은 구조물에 잔류 처짐을 감소하는데 매우 효율적임을 보여주고 있다.

• 한국건설관리학회논문집
• /
• 제5권3호
• /
• pp.71-78
• /
• 2004

In conventional method of supporting soil shuttering wall during excavation a system of struts and wales to provide cross-lot bracing is common in trench excavations and other excavations of limited width. This method, however, becomes difficult and costly to be adopted for large excavations since heavily braced structural systems are required. Another expensive and unsafe situations are expected when temporary struts must be removed for the construction of underground structures. This paper introduces innovative strut systems which can be used as permanent underground structures after its role as brace system to resist earth pressure during excavation phase. Underground structural system suggested from architect is checked against the soil lated pressures before the analysis of stresses developed from gravity loads. In this technology, named SPS(Struts as Permanent System), retaining wall is installed first and excavation proceeds until the first level of bracing is reached. Braces used as struts during excavation will serve as permanent girders when buildings are in operation. Simultaneous construction of underground and superstructure can proceeds when excavation ends with the last level of braces being installed. In this paper, construction sequence and the calculation concept are explained in detail with some photo illustrations. SPS technology was applied to three selected buildings. One of them was completed and two others are being constructed Many sensors were installed to monitor the behavior of retaining wall, braces as column in terms of stress change and displacement. Adjacent ground movement was also obtained. These projects demonstrate that SPS technology contributes to the speed as well as the economy involved in construction.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제45권3호
• /
• pp.437-454
• /
• 2022

Elliptic-braced simple resisting frame as a new lateral bracing system installed in the middle bay of frame in building facades has been recently introduced. This system not only creates a problem for opening space from the architectural viewpoint but also improves the structural behavior. Despite the researches on the seismic performance of lateral bracing systems, there are few studies performed on the effect of the stiffness parameters on the elastic story drift and calculation of period in simple braced steel frames. To overcome this shortcoming, in this paper, for the first time, an analytical solution is presented for calculating elastic lateral stiffness in a simple steel frame equipped with elliptic brace subjected to lateral load. In addition, for the first time, in this study, a precise formulation has been developed to evaluate the elastic stiffness variation in a steel frame equipped with a two-dimensional single-story single-span elliptic brace using strain energy and Castigliano's theorem. Thus, all the effective factors, including axial and shear loads as well as bending moments of elliptic brace could be considered. At the end of the analysis, the lateral stiffness can be calculated by an improved and innovative relation through the energy method based on the geometrical properties of the employed sections and specification of the used material. Also, an equivalent element of an elliptic brace was presented for the ease of modeling and use in linear designs. Application of the proposed relation have been verified through a variety of examples in OpenSees software. Based on the results, the error percentage between the elastic stiffness derived from the developed equations and the numerical analyses of finite element models was very low and negligible.