• Wind and Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.497-510
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• 2014

Seismic and wind load performances of buildings are commonly improved by using bracing systems. In practice, standard bracing systems, such as X, Y, V, and K types are used. To determine the appropriate bracing type, the designer uses trial & error method among the standard bracings to obtain better results. However, using topology optimization yields more efficient bracing systems or new bracing can be developed depending on building and loading types. Determination of optimum bracing type for minimum deformation on a building under the effect of wind load is given in this study. A new bracing system is developed by using topology optimization. Element removal method is used to determine and remove the comparatively inefficient materials. Optimized bracing is compared with proposed bracing types available in the related literature. Maximum deformation value of building is used as performance indicator to compare effectiveness of different bracings to resist wind loads. The proposed bracing, yielded 99%, deformation reduction compared to the unbraced building.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.17-34
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• 2018

Tall buildings are categorized as important structures because of the large number of occupants and high construction costs. The choice of competent lateral load resisting systems in tall buildings is of crucial importance. Bracing systems have long been an economic and effective method for resisting lateral loads in steel structures. However, there are some potential adverse aspects to bracing systems such as the limitations they inflict on architectural plans, uplift forces and poor performances in compression. in order to eliminate the mentioned problems and for cost optimization, in this paper, six 20-story steel buildings and frames with different types of bracing, i.e., conventional, mega-scale and buckling-restrained bracing (BRB) were analyzed. Linear and modal push-over analyses were carried out. The results pointed out that Mega-Scale Bracing (MSB) system has significant superiority over the conventional bracing type. The MSB system is 25% more economic. Some other advantages of MSB include: up to 63% less drift ratio, up to 38% better performance in lateral displacement, up to 100% stiffer stories, and about 50% smaller uplift forces. Moreover, MSB equipped with BRB attests even a better seismic behavior in the aforementioned parameters.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.445-464
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• 2012

In order to evaluate the dynamic behavior of passive energy dissipation system, two steps need to be considered for prediction of structural response in the presence of ductile element in an off-centre bracing system. The first is a detailed analysis of the proposed ductile element and the second is the effect of this ductile element on an off-centre bracing system. The use of ductile bracing system is expanding in steel structures in order to increase the force reduction factor. Therefore, regarding the nonlinear behavior of steel material used in an off-centre bracing systems and using ductile element in OBS bracing systems, the seismic evaluation of the mentioned systems seems to be necessary. This paper aims to study linear and nonlinear behavior of steel frames with off-centre bracing system and ductile element, in order to get the best position of these bracing elements. To achieve this purpose, the modeling has been done with ANSYS software. The optimum eccentricity has been obtained by modeling three steel frames with different eccentricities and evaluating the results of them. The analytical results showed that the model OBS-C with 0.3 eccentricities has higher performance among the models.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.129-137
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• 2007

In this study, the elastic out-of-plane buckling load and the effective length factor of X-bracing systems were studied. Points of the intersection of diagonals were modeled as a rigid connection or a pinned connection depending on the connection method of diagonals. The boundary condition of the intersection influences the buckling load of X-bracing systems. For each boundary condition of the intersection, effective out-of-plane length factors of X-bracing systems were derived as a function of the length ratio of tension and compression diagonals $L_P$/$L_T$, the applied force ratio of tension and compression diagonals T/P, and the Euler buckling load ratio of tension and compression diagonals $P_{ET}$/$P_{EP}$. The proposed effective out-of-plane length factors of X-bracing systems were compared with the results of previous researchers and those of the finite element analysis and their properties were verified. Finally, the effects of the boundary condition of the intersection on the out-of-plane buckling load of X-bracing systems were investigated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.4
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• pp.417-432
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• 2019

Seismic performance analysis of steel-brace reinforced concrete (RC) frame using topology optimization in highly seismic region was discussed in this research. Topology optimization based on truss-like material model was used, which was to minimum volume in full-stress method. Optimized bracing systems of low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise RC frames were established, and optimized bracing systems of substructure were also gained under different constraint conditions. Thereafter, different structure models based on optimized bracing systems were proposed and applied. Last, structural strength, structural stiffness, structural ductility, collapse resistant capacity, collapse probability and demolition probability were studied. Moreover, the brace buckling was discussed. The results show that bracing system of RC frame could be derived using topology optimization, and bracing system based on truss-like model could help to resolve numerical instabilities. Bracing system of topology optimization was more effective to enhance structural stiffness and strength, especially in mid-rise and high-rise frames. Moreover, bracing system of topology optimization contributes to increase collapse resistant capacity, as well as reduces collapse probability and accumulated demolition probability. However, brace buckling might weaken beneficial effects.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.231-242
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• 2016

To minimize the compliance of frame, a method to optimize the topology of bracing system in a frame is presented. The frame is first filled uniformly with a truss-like continuum, in which there are an infinite number of members. The frame and truss-like continuum are analysed by the finite element method altogether. By optimizing the distribution of members in the truss-like continuum over the whole design domain, the optimal bracing pattern is determined. As a result, the frame's lateral stiffness is enforced. Structural compliance and displacement are decreased greatly with a smaller increase in material volume. Since optimal bracing systems are described by the distribution field of members, rather than by elements, fewer elements are needed to establish the detailed structure. Furthermore, no numerical instability exists. Therefore it has high calculation effectiveness.

• Architectural research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.75-84
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• 2022

Scads of earthquake-resistant systems are being invented around the globe to ensure structural resistance against the lateral forces induced by earthquake loadings considering structural safety, efficiency, and economic aspects. Shear wall and Bracing systems are proved to be two of the most viable solutions for seismic strengthening of structures. In the present study, three numerical models of a G+10 storied building are developed in commercial building analysis software considering shear wall and bracing systems for earthquake resistance. Material nonlinearity is introduced by using plastic hinges. Analyses are performed utilizing two dynamic methods: Response Spectrum analysis and nonlinear Time-history analysis using Kobe and Loma Prieta earthquake data and results are compared to observe the nonlinear behavior of structures. The outcomes exposed that a significant increase in the seismic responses occurs due to the nonlinearity in the building systems. It was also found that building with shear wall exhibits maximum resistance and minimum nonlinearity when subjected to dynamic loadings.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.197-211
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• 2020

Application of the steel ring as a type of seismic fuse has been one of the efforts made by researchers in recent years aiming to enhance the ductility of the bracing systems which in turn, possesses various advantages and disadvantages. Accordingly, to alleviate these disadvantages, an innovative bracing system with a diamond scheme equipped with a steel ring is introduced in this paper. In this system, the braces and yielding circular damper act in parallel whose main functionality is to increase ductility, energy absorption and mitigate drawbacks of the existing bracing systems, in which the braces and yielding circular damper act in parallel. To conduct the experimental tests, specimens with three types of rigid, semi-rigid and pinned connections were built and subjected to cyclic loading so that their performance could be analyzed. Promisingly, the results indicate both great applicability and efficiency of the proposed system in energy absorption and ductility. Moreover, it was concluded that as the braces and damper are in parallel, the use of a steel ring with smaller size and thickness would result in higher energy absorption and load-resisting capacity when compared to the other existing systems. Finally, to assess the potential of numerically modeling the proposed system, its finite element model was simulated by ABAQUS software and observed that there is a great agreement between the numerical and experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.571-587
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• 2020

In this article the seismic demand and performance of two recent braced steel frames named steel moment frames with the elliptic bracing (ELBRFs) are assessed through a laboratory program and numerical analyses of FEM. Here, one of the specimens is without connecting bracket from the corner of the frame to the elliptic brace (ELBRF-E), while the other is with the connecting brackets (ELBRF-B). In both the elliptic braced moment resisting frames (ELBRFs), in addition to not having any opening space problem in the bracing systems when installed in the surrounding frames, they improve structure's behavior. The experimental test is run on ½ scale single-story single-bay ELBRF specimens under cyclic quasi-static loading and compared with X-bracing and SMRF systems in one story base model. This system is of appropriate stiffness and a high ductility, with an increased response modification factor. Moreover, its energy dissipation is high. In the ELBRF bracing systems, there exists a great interval between relative deformation at the yield point and maximum relative deformation after entering the plastic region. In other words, the distance from the first plastic hinge to the collapse of the structure is fairly large. The experimental outcomes here, are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2018

Moment frames have considerable ductility against cyclic lateral loads and displacements; however, sometimes this feature causes the relative displacement to exceed the permissible limits. This issue can bring unfavorable hysteretic behavior on the frame due to the reduction in the stiffness and resistance against lateral loads. Most of common bracing systems usually control lateral displacements through increasing stiffness while result in decreasing the capacity for energy absorption. This has direct effect on hysteresis curves of moment frames. Therefore, a system that is capable of both having the capacity of energy absorption as well as controlling the displacements without a considerable increase in the stiffness is quite important. This paper investigates retrofitting of a single-storey steel moment frame using a delayed wire-rope bracing system equipped with the ductile middle steel plate. The steel plate is considered at the middle intersection of wire ropes, where it causes cables to be continuously in tension. This integrated system has the advantage of reducing considerable stiffness of the frame compared to cross bracing systems as a result of which it could also preserve the frame's energy absorption capacity. In this paper, FEM models of a delayed wire-rope bracing system equipped by steel plates with different geometries have been studied, validated, and compared with other researchers' laboratory test results.