Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame Connection Design and Testing Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame Connection Design and Testing
To investigate the performance of the proposed connection design, a prototype bay was designed and two test specimens were fabricated and tested. Each specimen represented a corner of the prototype braced bay and consisted of a beam, column, gusset plate, brace core extension assembly, splice plates, and lateral bracing angles. Both standard design procedures and newly developed criteria were used to design the connection.
In preparation for testing, a method was developed for estimating the hysteretic response of a buckling-restrained brace. By using this method to program an actuator, the specimens could be tested without using actual braces, resulting in a significant reduction in testing cost.
Testing was conducted using two 600 kip actuators; the first followed a static loading protocol with a maximum design drift of 6.5%, and the second replicated the prototype BRBâ€™s response. The tests yielded promising results: both specimens withstood the maximum displacements and avoided yielding in the beams, columns, and gusset plates; yielding did occur in the splice plates and BRB core extension assembly, as anticipated.
Possible limitations in the design may arise under the presence of increased shear loads, concrete floor slabs, or out-of-plane loading. Additional testing is recommended.
School:Brigham Young University
School Location:USA - Utah
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:steel frame frames connection connections brace braces structrual engineeering structural structures design testing hysteresis hysteretic behavior civil engineering
Date of Publication:05/09/2007