Probabilistic mainshock-aftershock collapse risk assessment of buckling restrained braced frames

Abstract

Buckling-Restrained Braced Frames (BRBFs) are among the common seismic resistant systems with many beneficial characteristics such as stable cyclic behavior and high energy dissipation. However, recent studies have shown that BRBFs are susceptible to residual deformations during earthquakes which makes them vulnerable to aftershock events. The aim of the current study is to investigate the aftershock collapse capacity of BRBFs. In the first part of the paper, simplified procedures including IDA and collapse fragility analyses are carried out to gain more insight regarding the residual drift and collapse capacity of the intact frames. Then, aftershock fragility assessment is conducted for several damage states, to highlight the influence of post-mainshock residual drifts on the collapse of the structures. As for the second part, a detailed probabilistic framework is introduced and utilized to include the effects of upcoming aftershocks on the annual collapse probability of the structures. Results show that aftershock can highly intensify the structural response especially when the structure tolerates large residual drifts during the mainshock.