Assess the Effectiveness of SMA on Response of Steel Connection with PT Strands

Abstract

Using the post-tensioned (PT) elements can significantly plummet the persistent damages and the relevant costs to post-earthquake repair and maintenance, facing earthquake hazards. Rooted in a PT self-centering steel connection, the deformation and residual drift of the main members are limited to the linear elastic branch derived from existence of steel strands by omitting the gap between beam-column connections. The shape memory alloys (SMA) material has super elastic property according to the conversion of austenite to martensite phases due to changes in the temperature and stress. In this research, a nonlinear behavior of PT steel connection with top-and-seat angles was analyzed due to vulnerability of the connection during the cyclic loading, so that the connection was equipped with stiffened angles and SMA material in order to improve seismic behavior of the steel connection. The results illustrated that the using the equipped angles with SMA property flourish a logical performance in the steel connection under cyclic loading, by which the connection witnesses an appropriate energy dissipation (ED) capacity and dramatically effect on initial stiffness.