Experimental Tests for Pre-Qualification of a Set of Buckling-Restrained Braces

Abstract

Buckling restrained braces are increasingly used as structural fuse elements due to their stable and quasi-symmetric cyclic behaviour and capacity to dissipate a large amount of energy. However, a wider adoption of buckling restrained braced frames is often precluded by the proprietary character of most buckling restrained braces, need for their experimental qualification and sometimes lack of experience of designers. To overcome these problems, a set of typical buckling restrained braces were developed in view of their pre-qualification. Both "conventional" and "dry" devices were considered, with capacities corresponding to typical steel multistorey buildings in Romania. Detailing of buckling restrained braces aimed at investigating the core aspect ratio, gap size, strength of the buckling restraining mechanism, and the unbonding material. The paper presents the results of the experimental program, and recommended design parameters of qualified specimens.