Experimental study of deformable connection consisting of friction device and rubber bearings to connect floor system to lateral force resisting system

This paper presents experimental and numerical studies of a full‐scale deformable connection used to connect the floor system of the flexible gravity load resisting system to the stiff lateral force resisting system (LFRS) of an earthquake‐resistant building. The purpose of the deformable connection is to limit the earthquake‐induced horizontal inertia force transferred from the floor system to the LFRS and thereby to reduce the horizontal floor accelerations and the forces in the LFRS. The deformable connection that was studied consists of a friction device (FD) and carbon fiber‐reinforced laminated low‐damping rubber bearings (RB), denoted as the FD + RB connection. The test results show that the force‐deformation responses of the FD + RB connection are stable under quasi‐static sinusoidal and earthquake loading histories and dynamic sinusoidal loading histories. The FD + RB connection force‐deformation response is approximated with a bilinear elastic‐plastic force‐deformation response with kinematic hardening. The FD is axially stiff, compact, easy‐to‐assemble, and able to accommodate the FD + RB connection kinematic requirements. The FD elastic stiffness controls the FD + RB connection elastic stiffness. The FD friction force controls the force when the FD + RB connection force‐deformation response transitions from elastic to post elastic. The RB provide predictable and reliable post‐elastic stiffness to the FD + RB connection. The machining tolerances for the FD components, the “break‐in” effect, the sliding history, and the dwell time affect the FD friction force. Numerical simulation results for a 12‐story reinforced concrete wall building with FD + RB connections under seismic loading show that a reduction of the FD friction force increases the FD + RB connection deformation demand.     

Development of deformable connection for earthquake‐resistant buildings to reduce floor accelerations and force responses

This paper presents the development of a deformable connection that is used to connect each floor system of the flexible gravity load resisting system (GLRS) with the stiff lateral force resisting system (LFRS) of an earthquake‐resistant building. It is shown that the deformable connection acts as a seismic response modification device, which limits the lateral forces transferred from each floor to the LFRS and allows relative motion between the GLRS and LFRS. In addition, the floor accelerations and the LFRS story shears related to the higher‐mode responses are reduced. The dispersion of peak responses is also significantly reduced. Numerical simulations of the earthquake response of a 12‐story reinforced concrete shear wall example building with deformable connections are used to define an approximate feasible design space for the deformable connection. The responses of the example building model with deformable connections and the example building model with rigid‐elastic connections are compared. Two configurations of the deformable connection are studied. In one configuration, a buckling restrained brace is used as the limited‐strength load‐carrying hysteretic component of the deformable connection, and in the other configuration, a friction device is used. Low damping laminated rubber bearings are used in both configurations to ensure the out‐of‐plane stability of the LFRS and to provide post‐elastic stiffness to the deformable connection. Important experimental results from full‐scale tests of the deformable connections are presented and used to calibrate numerical models of the connections. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Critical limit states in seismic buckling‐restrained brace and connection designs

A welded end‐slot buckling‐restrained brace (WES‐BRB) has been developed at the Taiwan National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE). A steel frame equipped with a WES‐BRB can offer a cost‐effective solution to meet interstory drift and earthquake‐resistant design requirements for seismic steel buildings. According to the WES‐BRB and connection design procedure proposed by NCREE, there are seven key elements of a buckling‐restrained braced frame (BRBF) design that require design checking. In order to assist an engineer with the design of the WES‐BRB members and connections, an innovative cloud service named Brace on Demand has been constructed at NCREE. In this study, using 581 BRBF design examples, the effectiveness of the proposed design procedures to meet all design checks is demonstrated. It is found that the most critical limit states for an initial design are joint region buckling, gusset plate buckling, and gusset‐to‐beam and gusset‐to‐column interface strength. Accordingly, the causes of improper designs and associated strategies for improving the initial designs are discussed in this paper. Recommendations on initial selections including the BRB joint size and gusset plate thickness are given. The paper provides the detailed road map for engineers to develop the spreadsheet for BRB and connection designs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High‐mode buckling responses of buckling‐restrained brace core plates

Cyclic loading tests and finite element analyses on six novel all‐steel buckling‐restrained braces (BRBs) are conducted using different loading patterns to investigate the core plate high‐mode buckling phenomenon. The proposed BRB is composed of a core member and a pair of identical restraining members, which restrains the core member by using bolted shim spacers. The design of the proposed BRB allows the core plate to be visually inspected immediately following a major earthquake. If necessary, the pair of restraining members can be conveniently disassembled, and the damaged core plate can be replaced. Test results indicate that the proposed BRBs can sustain large cyclic strain reversals and cumulative plastic deformations in excess of 400 times the yield strain. Experimental and analytical results confirm that the high‐mode buckling wavelength is related to the core plate thickness and the applied loading patterns. The larger the axial compressive strain is applied, the shorter the high‐mode buckling wavelength would be developed. The buckling wavelength is about 12 times the core plate thickness when the high‐mode buckling shape is fully developed. However, it reduces to about 10 times the core plate thickness when a compressive core strain reaches greater than 0.03. The high‐mode bucking wavelength can be satisfactorily predicted using the proposed method or from the finite element analysis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of non‐moment braced frame seismic deformations on buckling‐restrained brace end connection behavior: Theoretical analysis and subassemblage tests

In‐plane buckling‐restrained brace (BRB) end rotation induced by frame action is a commonly observed phenomenon in buckling‐restrained braced frames (BRBFs). However, its effect on BRB end connection behavior has not yet been clear. In this study, four BRB end deformation modes for quick determination of end rotational demand are proposed for non‐moment BRBF considering different BRB arrangements, installing story of BRBs, and boundary condition of corner gussets connected with column base. Key factors affecting BRB end rotation and flexural moments are examined theoretically by parametric analysis. Subassemblage tests of seven BRB specimens under horizontal cyclic loading were conducted by adopting two loading frames to impose the expected BRB end deformations. It shows that BRB end rotation subjected BRB ends to significant flexural moments, leading to premature yielding of BRB ends or even tendency of end zone buckling. The deformation modes, the flexural rigidity of BRB ends, and the initial geometric imperfections of BRBs were found to have significant influence on BRB end connection behavior. The triggering moment induced by BRB end rotation was the main contributor to end flexural moment. However, the moment amplification effect induced by flexure of BRB end zones became prominent especially for small flexural rigidity of BRB ends. Implications and future research needs for design of BRB end connections are provided finally based on the theoretical and experimental results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Buckling‐restrained brace using steel mortar planks; performance evaluation as a hysteretic damper

The authors developed a buckling‐restrained brace that enables increased design freedom at both ends of the core plate and strict quality control while providing stable hysteresis characteristics even under high strains. The buckling‐restrained brace can be formed by welding a core plate covered with unbonded material to a pair of mortar‐filled channel steels (steel mortar planks) as a restraining part. The use of this approach enables visual confirmation of the status of the mortar filling and also facilitates standardizing structural members and member‐by‐member quality control. Specimens of a buckling‐restrained brace with different steel mortar plank heights are fabricated to adjust the restraining force, along with specimens with different core plate width‐to‐thickness ratios. The tests were conducted to reveal the hysteretic characteristics of the braces, as well as their cumulative plastic strain energy, elastoplastic properties, and stiffening properties. A performance evaluation formula as well as a buckling‐restrained brace design method using the test results is proposed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Welded end‐slot connection and debonding layers for buckling‐restrained braces

The debonding mechanism has a significant effect on the performance of a buckling‐restrained brace (BRB). In this paper, a method for estimating the compression strength adjustment factor for any given BRB core strain is presented. Experimental investigations were conducted on four BRBs to examine the efficiency of four different debonding materials in reducing the difference between the cyclic peak compression and tension. Test results indicate that chloroprene rubber is very easy to install and very effective in minimizing the difference between the compressive and tensile capacities. The excellent performance of 13 full‐scale welded end‐slot BRBs (WES‐BRBs) is illustrated through experiments. Cyclic loading test results of a 12.5‐m long jumbo WES‐BRB reveal that its peak compressive strength exceeds 16,800 kN and its maximum core strain reaches 0.035. All WES‐BRBs show satisfactory performance with a very stable hysteresis response, modest peak compressive to tensile strength ratio, and very predictable axial stiffness. These specimens sustain a cumulative plastic deformation of greater than 400 times the yield deformation. The hysteresis responses can be satisfactorily predicted by using a two‐surface plasticity analytical model. Advantages of the welded end‐slot connections are also presented through a discussion on the effects of the BRB yield region length ratio on the effective stiffness, the yield story drift, and the core strain level. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel type of angle steel buckling‐restrained brace: Cyclic behavior and failure mechanism

A novel type of angle steel buckling‐restrained brace (ABRB) has been developed for easier control on initial geometric imperfection in the core, more design flexibility in the buckling restraining mechanism and easier assembly work. The steel core is composed of four angle steels to form a non‐welded cruciform shape restrained by two external angle steels, which are welded longitudinally to form an external tube. Component test was conducted on seven ABRB specimens under uniaxial quasi‐static cyclic loading. The test results reveal that the consistency between the actual and design behavior of ABRB can be well achieved without the effect of weld in the core. The ABRBs with proper details exhibited stable cyclic behavior and satisfactory cumulative plastic ductility capacity, so that they can serve as effective hysteretic dampers. However, compression–flexure failure at the steel core projection was found to be the primary failure mode for the ABRBs with hinge connections even though the cross‐section of the core projection was reinforced two times that of the yielding segment. The failure mechanism is further discussed by investigating the N_u– M_u correlation curve. It is found that the bending moment response developed in the core projection induced by end rotation was the main cause for such a failure mode, and it is suggested that core projection should be kept within elastic stage under the possible maximum axial load and bending moment response. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic performance evaluation of single damped‐outrigger system incorporating buckling‐restrained braces

The outrigger system is an effective means of controlling the seismic response of core‐tube type tall buildings by mobilizing the axial stiffness of the perimeter columns. This study investigates the damped‐outrigger, incorporating the buckling‐restrained brace (BRB) as energy dissipation device (BRB‐outrigger system). The building's seismic responses are expected to be effectively reduced because of the high BRB elastic stiffness during minor earthquakes and through the stable energy dissipation mechanism of the BRB during large earthquakes. The seismic behavior of the BRB‐outrigger system was investigated by performing a spectral analysis considering the equivalent damping to incorporate the effects of BRB inelastic deformation. Nonlinear response history analyses were performed to verify the spectral analysis results. The analytical models with building heights of 64, 128, and 256 m were utilized to investigate the optimal outrigger elevation and the relationships between the outrigger truss flexural stiffness, BRB axial stiffness, and perimeter column axial stiffness to achieve the minimum roof drift and acceleration responses. The method of determining the BRB yield deformation and its effect on overall seismic performance were also investigated. The study concludes with a design recommendation for the single BRB‐outrigger system.     

Design and full‐scale experimental evaluation of a seismically endurant steel buckling‐restrained brace system

This paper presents the results of 12 full‐scale tests on buckling‐restrained brace (BRB) specimens. A simple‐to‐fabricate all‐steel encasing joined by high‐strength bolts was used as the buckling‐restrainer mechanism. Steel BRBs offer significant energy dissipation capability through nondeteriorating inelastic response of an internal ductile core. However, seismic performance of BRBs is characterized by interaction between several factors. In this experimental study, the effects of core‐restrainer interfacial condition, gap size, loading history, bolt spacing, and restraining capacity are evaluated. A simple hinge detail is introduced at the brace ends to reduce the flexural demand on the framing components. Tested specimens with bare steel contact surfaces exhibited satisfactory performance under the American Institute of Steel Construction qualification test protocol. The BRBs with friction‐control self‐adhesive polymer liners and a graphite‐based dry lubricant displayed larger cumulative inelastic ductility under large‐amplitude cyclic loading, exceeding current code minimum requirements. The BRB system is also examined under repeated fast‐rate seismic deformation history. This system showed significant ductility capacity and remarkable endurance under dynamic loading. Furthermore, performance is qualified under long‐duration loading history from subduction zone's megathrust type of earthquake. Predictable and stable performance of the proposed hinge detail was confirmed by the test results. Internally imposed normal thrust on the restrainer is measured using series of instrumented bolts. Weak‐ and strong‐axis buckling responses of the core are examined. Higher post‐yield stiffness was achieved when the latter governed, which could be advantageous to the overall seismic response of braced frames incorporating BRBs.     

Seismic design and testing of buckling‐restrained braces with a thin profile

A thin‐profile buckling‐restrained brace (thin‐BRB) consists of a rectangular steel casing and a flat steel core that is parallel to a gusset plate. A thin configuration reduces the width of the restraining member and thus saves usable space in buildings. However, deformable debonding layers, which cover the steel core plate in order to mitigate the difference between the peak tensile and compressive axial forces, provide a space for the steel core to form high mode buckling waves when the thin‐BRB is under compression. The wave crests squeeze the debonding layers and produce outward forces on the inner surface of the restraining member. If the restraining member is too weak in sustaining the outward forces, local bulging failure occurs and the thin‐BRB loses its compression capacity immediately. In order to investigate local bulging behavior, a total of 22 thin‐BRB specimens with a ratio of steel core plate to restraining steel tube depth ranging from 0.3 to 0.7 and axial yield force capacities ranging from 421 kN to 3036 kN were tested by applying either cyclically increasing, decreasing, or constant axial strains. The restraining steel tube widths of all the specimens were smaller than 200 mm and were infilled with mortar with a compressive strength of 97 MPa or 55 MPa. Thirteen of the 22 thin‐BRB specimens' restraining members bulged out when the compressive core strains exceeded 0.03. A seismic design method of the thin‐BRB in preventing local bulging failure is proposed in this study. Test and finite element model (FEM) analysis results suggest that the outward forces can be estimated according to the BRB compressive strength, steel core high mode buckling wavelength, and the debonding layer thickness. In addition, the capacity of the restraining member in resisting the outward forces can be estimated by using the upper bound theory in plastic analysis. Both the FEM analysis and test results indicate that the proposed method is effective in predicting the possibility of local bulging failure. Test results indicate that the proposed design method is conservative for thin‐BRB specimens with a large steel core plate to restraining steel tube depth ratio. This paper concludes with design recommendations for thin‐BRBs for severe seismic services. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bidirectional substructure pseudo‐dynamic tests and analysis of a full‐scale two‐story buckling‐restrained braced frame

A two‐story buckling‐restrained brace (BRB) frame was tested under bidirectional in‐plane and out‐of‐plane loading to evaluate the BRB stability and gusset plate design. The test comprised pseudo‐dynamic loadings using the 1999 Chi‐Chi earthquake scaled to the 50%, 10%, and 2% probability of exceedance in 50 years and a cyclic regime of increasing amplitudes of up to 3.0% story drift ratio (SDR). The specimen had a unique configuration where the beams were connected to the columns through shear tabs welded to the column flanges and bolted to the beam webs. Stable hysteretic behavior with only minor cracking at the gusset‐to‐column welds was observed under the pseudo‐dynamic tests, with maximum in‐plane and out‐of‐plane SDRs of 2.24% and 1.47% respectively. Stable behavior continued into the cyclic test where fracture of the gusset‐to‐column welds occurred in the first cycle to simultaneous bidirectional SDR of 3.0%. The observed BRB stability is consistent with a methodology developed for BRB frames under simultaneous in‐plane and out‐of‐plane drifts. The specimen behavior was studied using a finite element model. It was shown that gusset plates are subjected to a combination of BRB force and frame action demands, with the latter increasing the gusset‐to‐beam and gusset‐to‐column interface demands by an average of 69% and 83% respectively. Consistent with the test results, failure at the gusset‐to‐column interfaces is computed when frame action demands are included, thus confirming that not considering frame action demands may results in unconservative gusset plate designs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Developing high‐performance aluminum alloy buckling‐restrained braces based on series of low‐cycle fatigue tests

In order to enhance the durability of high‐performance buckling‐restrained braces (BRBs) used in bridge engineering, which are expected to withstand severe earthquakes three times without being replaced, aluminum alloys were employed to manufacture BRBs. A series of low‐cycle fatigue tests, including 18 specimens, were conducted to address the low‐cycle fatigue strength of the aluminum alloy BRB. Test results of all specimens show that stable hysteretic curves were obtained without overall buckling occurrence. Failure mode of the welded aluminum alloy BRB is obviously affected by the ribs' welding under the variable or constant strain amplitude condition. Therefore, another type of aluminum alloy BRB, the bolt‐assembled BRB with or without spot‐welded stoppers, is proposed and tested. Results showed that the low‐cycle fatigue performance of bolt‐assembled BRBs with stoppers improved four to five times compared with welded BRBs. However, the stoppers' spot welding has an adverse effect on the failure mode because the crack, which induced the specimen's failure, initiated from the spot weld toes of the stoppers. Both bolt‐assembled BRBs with and without stoppers can meet the cumulative inelastic deformation requirement proposed for high‐performance BRBs under the constant strain amplitude, not larger than 2%. In addition, under the variable strain amplitude condition, only the bolt‐assembled BRB without stoppers has an excellent cumulative inelastic deformation capacity and sustains two cycles of 2.5% strain amplitude. Finally, recommended Manson–Coffin equations and preliminary cumulative damage formulae for welded and bolt‐assembled BRBs are given as the references of the strain‐based damage evaluation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic design and test of gusset connections for buckling‐restrained braced frames

The corner gusset plates in a steel braced frame can be subjected to forces not only from the brace but also from the effects of the frame actions. In this study, several finite element models are constructed to analyze the gusset‐to‐beam and gusset‐to‐column interface forces. It is found that the frame actions affect the gusset interface force distributions significantly. A simplified strut model to represent the gusset plate is adopted to evaluate the frame action forces. In addition, the generalized uniform force method is adopted as it provides more freedom for designers to configure the gusset plate shapes than using the uniform force method. In this paper, a performance‐based design method is proposed. The gusset interface force demands take into account the combined effect of the brace maximum axial force capacity and the peak beam shear possibly developed in the frame. The specimen design and key results of a series of full‐scale three‐story buckling‐restrained braced frame (BRBF) hybrid tests are discussed. The gusset interface cracks observed at inter‐story drift greater than 0.03 radians can be well predicted by using the proposed design method. The BRBF tests and analyses confirm that the proposed design method is reasonable. The effectiveness of varying the width of gusset edge stiffeners in reducing the gusset tip stress concentrations is also investigated. This paper concludes with recommendations for the seismic design of BRBF corner gusset plates. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic design and experiment of single and coupled corner gusset connections in a full‐scale two‐story buckling‐restrained braced frame

A gusset plate is subjected to forces induced from a buckling‐restrained brace (BRB) and frame action. In this study, a performance‐based design method of the gusset connections incorporating a BRB and frame actions is investigated. The force demands resulting from the BRB axial force are computed from the generalized uniform force method. The force demands induced from the frame action effects primarily result from beam shear. A conservative method, which considers the beam axial force effect and the thereafter reduced beam flexural capacity possibly developed at the gusset tips, is adopted in estimating the maximum beam shear. An improved equivalent strut model is used to represent the gusset plate subjected to the frame action effect. The total force demands of the gusset connection are combined from the BRB force and the frame actions. For design purposes, the stress distributions on the gusset interfaces are linearized. The maximum von Mises stress combining the normal and shear stresses is considered as the demand for the gusset plate design. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed design method, experiments on a two‐story full‐scale buckling‐restrained braced frame (BRBF) were performed. The chevron and single diagonal brace configurations were arranged in the second and the first stories, respectively. Two different corner gusset connection configurations including one single corner gusset and one coupled corner gusset connection, where two braces in adjacent stories joined at the same beam‐to‐column joint, were tested. The BRBF specimen was subjected to cyclically increasing lateral displacements with a maximum frame drift of 0.04 rad. The maximum story drifts reached 0.035 and 0.061 rad. in the first and the second stories, respectively. At the end of the tests, no fractures were observed on any of the gusset interfaces. Along the gusset interfaces, the normal and shear stress distributions computed from the proposed design procedures and the FEM analysis correlated well with the experimental results. This paper concludes with the procedure and recommendations for the performance‐based design of gusset connections. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental tests on full‐scale RC unretrofitted frame and retrofitted with buckling‐restrained braces

The results of experimental tests carried out on reinforced concrete (RC) full‐scale 2‐storey 2‐bays framed buildings are presented. The unretrofitted frame was designed for gravity loads only and without seismic details; such frame was assumed as a benchmark system in this study. A similar RC frame was retrofitted with buckling‐restrained braces (BRBs). The earthquake structural performance of both prototypes was investigated experimentally using displacement‐controlled pushover static and cyclic lateral loads. Modal response properties of the prototypes were also determined before and after the occurrence of structural damage. The results of the dynamic response analyses were utilized to assess the existing design rules for the estimation of the elastic and inelastic period of vibrations. Similarly, the values of equivalent damping were compared with code‐base relationships. It was found that the existing formulations need major revisions when they are used to predict the structural response of as‐built RC framed buildings. The equivalent damping ratio ξ_eq was augmented by more than 50% when the BRBs was employed as bracing system. For the retrofitted frame, the overstrength Ω and the ductility µ are 1.6 and 4.1, respectively; the estimated R‐factor is 6.5. The use of BRBs is thus a viable means to enhance efficiently the lateral stiffness and strength, the energy absorption and dissipation capacity of the existing RC substandard frame buildings. The foundation systems and the existing members of the superstructure are generally not overstressed as the seismic demand imposed on them can be controlled by the axial stiffness and the yielding force of the BRBs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pseudo‐dynamic test of a full‐scale CFT/BRB frame—Part II: Seismic performance of buckling‐restrained braces and connections

This paper is Part II of a two‐part paper describing a full‐scale 3‐story 3‐bay concrete‐filled tube (CFT)/buckling‐restrained braced frame (BRBF) specimen tested using psuedo‐dynamic testing procedures. The first paper described the specimen design, experiment, and simulation, whereas this paper focuses on the experimental responses of BRBs and BRB‐to‐gusset connections. This paper first evaluates the design of the gusset connections and the effects of the added edge stiffeners in improving the seismic performance of gusset connections. Test results suggest that an effective length factor of 2.0 should be considered for the design of the gusset plate without edge stiffeners. Tests also confirm that the cumulative plastic deformation (CPD) capacity of the BRBs adopted in the CFT/BRBF was lower than that found in typical component tests. The tests performed suggest that the reduction in the BRB CPD capacities observed in this full‐scale frame specimen could be due to the significant rotational demands imposed on the BRB‐to‐gusset joints. A simple method of computing such rotational demands from the frame inter‐story drift response demand is proposed. This paper also discusses other key experimental responses of the BRBs, such as effective stiffness, energy dissipation, and ductility demands. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic design and hybrid tests of a full‐scale three‐story buckling‐restrained braced frame using welded end connections and thin profile

A series of hybrid and cyclic loading tests were conducted on a three‐story single‐bay full‐scale buckling‐restrained braced frame (BRBF) at the Taiwan National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in 2010. Six buckling‐restrained braces (BRBs) including two thin BRBs and four end‐slotted BRBs, all using welded end connection details, were installed in the frame specimen. The BRBF was designed to sustain a design basis earthquake in Los Angeles. In the first hybrid test, the maximum inter‐story drift reached nearly 0.030 rad in the second story and one of the thin BRBs in the first story locally bulged and fractured subsequently before the test ended. After replacing the BRBs in the first story with a new pair, a second hybrid test with the same but reversed direction ground motion was applied. The maximum inter‐story drifts reached more than 0.030 rad and some cracks were found on the gusset welds in the second story. The frame responses were satisfactorily predicted by both OpenSees and PISA3D analytical models. The cyclic loading test with triangular lateral force distribution was conducted right after the second hybrid test. The maximum inter‐story drift reached 0.032, 0.031, and 0.008 rad for the first to the third story, respectively. This paper then presents the findings on the local bulging failure of the steel casing by using cyclic test results of two thin BRB specimens. It is found that the steel casing bulging resistance can be computed from an equivalent beam model constructed from the steel core plate width and restraining concrete thickness. This paper concludes with the recommendations on the seismic design of thin BRB steel casings against local bulging failure. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conceptual design and full‐scale experimentation of cladding panel connection systems of precast buildings

Despite the long series of European research projects that has led to the setting of fully reliable seismic design criteria for precast structures, recent earthquakes have shown that a weak point still exists in the proportioning of the connection systems of cladding wall panels. Following this finding, this paper outlines an organic setting of the design problem of precast concrete structures including cladding–structure interaction and describes three possible solutions, namely, the isostatic, integrated, and dissipative systems. The related fastening arrangements, with the use of existing and innovative connection devices, are also described. This paper comments on the results of the pseudo‐dynamic and cyclic tests performed at ELSA Laboratory of the European Joint Research Centre of Ispra (Italy) on a full‐scale prototype of precast structure. The conception and the experimental performance of the structure with nine different configurations of either vertical or horizontal wall panel claddings are presented. The analysis of the results highlights the effectiveness of the different solutions in a comparative way. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental and numerical study of a self‐centering prestressed concrete moment resisting frame connection with bolted web friction devices

The self‐centering prestressed concrete (SCPC) moment resisting frame (MRF) with web friction devices (WFDs) is a new type of structure that integrates advantages of post‐tensioned precast concrete MRFs and self‐centering steel MRFs. In this paper, the configuration of the connection and design guidelines are presented. To further reduce damage to the connection under cyclic loading and facilitate implementation in practice, several significant improvements are proposed and experimentally validated in this study, including the following: (i) the welded connection is replaced by the bolted connection; (ii) aluminum plates are used for friction instead of brass plates to reduce the material costs without decreasing the energy dissipation capacity; and (iii) post‐tensioned tendons at the corners of the beam are replaced by a bundle of tendons at the beam centroid in order to facilitate the field assembly. The resulting improvements of seismic performances are experimentally demonstrated by 10 cyclic tests of two full‐scale SCPC beam–column connections. Numerical simulation of the proposed connection is conducted using the Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (OpenSees) to replicate the experimental results. Seismic behaviors are taken into account, such as the gap opening/closing at the beam–column interface, the self‐centering capacity, and the friction energy dissipation. Good agreement is observed between the numerical simulation and the test results. The proposed SCPC connection with bolted WFDs is demonstrated to have good performance when subjected to cyclic loading. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.