• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.417-433
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• 2023

The maximum ductility and cumulative ductility of connection joints of Buckling-Restrained Braced Frames (BRBF) are critical to the structural overall performance, which should be matched with the BRB ductility. The two-story and one-span BRBF with a one-third scale was tested under cyclic quasi-static loading, and the top-flange beam splice (TFBS) rotational connections were proposed and adopted in BRBF. The deformation capacity of TFBS connections was observed during the test, and the relationship between structural global ductility and local connection ductility was studied. The rotational capacity of the beam-column connections and the stability performance of the BRBs are highly relevant to the structural overall performance. The hysteretic curves of BRBF are stable and full under large displacement demand imposed up to 2% story drift, and energy is dissipated as the large plastic deformation developed in the structural components. The BRBs acted as fuses and yielded first, and the cumulative plastic ductility (CPD) of BRBs is 972.6 of the second floor and 439.7 of the first floor, indicating the excellent energy dissipation capacity of BRBs. Structural members with good local ductility ensure the large global ductility of BRBF. The ductile capacity and hysteretic behavior of BRBF with TFBS connections were compared with those of BRBF with Reduced Beam Section (RBS) connections in terms of the experimental results.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 2017

In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, connection damage initiated from the beam bottom flange was prevalent. The presence of a concrete slab and resulting composite action was speculated as one of the critical causes of the prevalent bottom flange fracture. In this study, four seismic retrofit schemes are proposed in order to salvage welded steel moment connections with composite floor slabs in existing steel moment frames. Because top flange modification of existing beams is not feasible due to the presence of a concrete floor slab, three schemes of bottom flange modification by using welded triangular or straight haunches or RBS(reduced beam section), and beam web strengthening by attaching heavy shear tab were cyclically tested and analyzed. Test results of this study show that haunch and web-strengthened specimens can eliminate the detrimental effect caused by composite action and ensure excellent connection plastic rotation exceeding 5% rad. Design recommendations for each retrofit scheme together with supplemental numerical studies are also presented.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.75-84
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• 2010

In current seismic design provisions, a reduced beam section with bolted web (RBS-B) connections is only permitted for intermediate moment frames (IMF). This study evaluated the seismic performance of steel moment resisting frame systems having RBS-B connections designed according to current seismic design provisions. For this purpose, 12 archetypal IMF systems having two different span lengths (9m, 6m) were designed considering two design load levels (SDC $C_{max}$, SDC $C_{min}$). A nonlinear analytical model that can simulate hysteretic behavior of an RBS-B connection was also developed in this study. The procedures specified in ATC 63 are used to conduct a seismic performance evaluation. Moreover, this study conducts the seismic performance evaluation of IMF systems designed according to a new design method proposed by the authors in the previous study. It was observed that several model frames designed according to current seismic design provisions did not provide satisfactory collapse margin ratios (ACMR). This study also showed that the model frames designed according to the new design procedures had a sufficient ACMR.