Comparative seismic performance of steel frames retrofitted with buckling-restrained braces through the application of Force-Based and Displacement-Based approaches

This paper presents an analytical study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of using buckling-restrained braces as a retrofit scheme for existing multi-bay multi-story steel buildings. For that purpose, the seismic response of four two-dimensional frame models representative of typical steel buildings designed in a region of high seismicity was analyzed prior to and after including buckling-restrained braces as a retrofit strategy. The braces were designed following Force-Based and Displacement-Based approaches. The structural performance of the different versions of the frames was evaluated by subjecting each one to a set of twenty ground motions representative of the design earthquake with 10% exceedance probability in fifty years. It was observed that buckling-restrained braces allow for an efficient reduction in the peak drift demands in the retrofitted frames. However, since the beneficial effect of the braces cannot be fully controlled under a Force-Based design approach, it was concluded that a Displacement-Based design approach is the best option to achieve optimum structural performance.