Behavior of Braced Steel Frames with Innovative Bracing Schemes - A NEES Collaboratory ProjectWalter Yang, Roberto T. Leon, and Reginald DesRoches |
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The 1994 Northridge and 1995 Kobe earthquakes showed that new technologies and structural configurations are needed to limit damage to steel structures subjected to moderate and large ground motions. In this context, the need to provide additional stiffness to modern frame configurations is clear, leading to a renewed interest in braced frame configurations. Braced frames, however, are regarded as not being very ductile because buckling of individual braces quickly leads to formation of story mechanisms. The additional need for stiffness and ductility for modern structures is compounded by the trends towards lighter structures, more compact lateral-load resisting systems and the advent of performance-based design. |
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To solve the traditional problems associated with conventional braced frames, a new class of bracing systems, known as a zipper frames, are developed and tested as part of this project. In the experimental portion of the project, four laboratories (Georgia Tech (GT), U. at Buffalo (UB), U. of California at Berkeley (UCB), and the U. of Colorado at Boulder (CU)) are conducting studies on the behavior of whole systems, subassemblages, and individual elements. These will be tested under a variety of load regimes, ranging from shake table tests to quasi-static ones, in order to provide comprehensive data on which to base design recommendations. In the analytical part of the first phase, the four universities listed above, plus Florida A&M (FAMU) and Imperial College-London (IC), are conducting extensive analytical studies to provide (1) a basis and a complement to the experimental work, (2) a testbed for the NEESgrid portion of the NEES Consortium, and (3) new, simplified and comprehensive models for use in design. |
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This research will provide a unique database of information on the behavior of zipper frames, and will provide results from proof-of-concept studies on a new class of bracing systems. In addition, the research will lead to the development of analytical models that can be implemented into existing seismic analysis programs. The research will develop analytical tools and methodologies to allow practicing engineers to determine potential benefits of a variety of applications of zipper frames. |
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