• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.687-702
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• 2016

There are many studies in the literature conducted on the subject of ensuring earthquake safety of reinforced concrete and steel structures using steel braced frames, but no detailed study concerning individual behavior of steel braced frames under earthquake loads and strengthening of reinforced concrete structures with out-of-plane steel braced frames has been encountered. In this study, in order to evaluate behaviors of "Concentrically Steel Braced Frames" types defined in TEC-2007 under lateral loads, dimensional analysis of Concentrically Steel Braced Frames designed with different scales and dimensions was conducted, the results were controlled according to TEC-2007, and after conducting static pushover analysis, behavior and load capacity of the Concentrically Steel Braced Frames and hinges sequence of the elements constituting the Concentrically Steel Braced Frames were tested. Concentrically Steel Braced Frames that were tested analytically consist of 2 storey and one bay, and are formed as two groups with the scales 1/2 and 1/3. In the study, Concentrically Steel Braced Frames described in TEC-2007 were designed, which are 7 types in total being non-braced, X-braced, V- braced, $\wedge$- braced, $\backslash$- braced, /- braced and K- braced. Furthermore, in order to verify accuracy of the analytic studies performed, the 1/2 scaled concentrically steel X-braced frame test element made up of box profiles and 1/3 scaled reinforced concrete frame with insufficient earthquake resistance were tested individually under lateral loads, and test results were compared with the results derived from analytic studies and interpreted. Similar results were obtained from both experimental studies and pushover analyses. According to pushover analysis results, load-carrying capacity of 1/3 scaled reinforced concrete frames increased up to 7,01 times as compared to the non-braced specimen upon strengthening. Results acquired from the study revealed that reinforced concrete buildings which have inadequate seismic capacity can be strengthened quickly, easily and economically by this method without evacuating them.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.273-291
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• 2020

Two-storey X-bracings are currently very popular in European practice, as respect to chevron and simple X bracings, owing to the advantages of reducing the bending demand in the brace-intercepted beams in V and inverted-V configurations and optimizing the design of gusset plate connections. However, rules for two-storey X braced frames are not clearly specified within current version of EN1998-1, thus leading to different interpretations of the code by designers. The research presented in this paper is addressed at investigating the seismic behaviour of two-storey X concentrically braced frames in order to revise the design rules within EN1998-1. Therefore, five different design criteria are discussed, and their effectiveness is investigated. With this aim, a comprehensive numerical parametric study is carried out considering a set of planar frames extracted from a set of structural archetypes that are representative of regular low, medium and high-rise buildings. The obtained results show that the proposed design criteria ensure satisfactory seismic performance.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.23-37
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• 2018

In this paper, seismic provisions related to built-up special concentrically braced frames (BSCBFs) are investigated under cyclic loading using non-linear finite element analysis of a single-bay single-story frame. These braces, which contain double angle and double channel brace sections, are considered in two types of single diagonal and X-braced frames. The results of this study show that current seismic provisions such as observing the 0.4 ratio for slenderness ratio of individual elements between stitch connectors are conservative in BSCBFs, and can be increased according to the type of braces. Furthermore, such increments will lead to decreasing or remaining the current middle protected zone requirements of each BSCBFs. Failure results of BSCBFs, which are related to the plastic equivalent strain growth of members and ductility capacity of the models, show that the behaviors of double channel back-to-back diagonal braces are more desirable than those of similar face-to-face ones. Also, for double angle diagonal braces, results show that the failure of back-to-back BSCBFs occurs faster in comparison with face-to-face similar braces. In X-braced frames, cyclic and failure behaviors of built-up face-to-face models are more desirable than similar back-to-back braces in general.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 2013

Steel braced frames are commonly used because braced frames are one of the most economical and efficient seismic resisting systems. However, research into the behavior of multi-story X-braced frame systems with mid-span gusset plates, as used in practice, is limited. As a result, their seismic performance and the influence of connection design on this performance are not well understood. Detailed nonlinear computer analyses of the frame were performed prior to building the test specimens and were used to aid the design and to predict the system performance. These analyses suggested significantly different behavior for the midspan gusset plate than that noted for the corner gusset plate connections. This paper summarizes the results of a full scale, 2-story braced frame analysis and test on concentrically braced frames.

• 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.16 no.2
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• pp.135-156
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• 2014

In this research the effect of seismic design level as a practical approach for progressive collapse mitigation and reaching desired structural safety against it in seismically designed concentric braced frame buildings was investigated. It was achieved by performing preliminary and advanced progressive collapse analysis of several split-X braced frame buildings, designed for each seismic zone according to UBC 97 and by applying various Seismic Load Factors (SLFs). The outer frames of such structures were studied for collapse progression while losing one column and connected brace in the first story. Preliminary analysis results showed the necessity of performing advanced element loss analysis, consisting of Vertical Incremental Dynamic Analysis (VIDA) and Performance-Based Analysis (PBA), in order to compute the progressive collapse safety of the structures while increasing SLF for each seismic zone. In addition, by sensitivity analysis it became possible to introduce the equation of structural safety against progressive collapse for concentrically braced frames as a function of SLF for each seismic zone. Finally, the equation of progressive collapse safety as a function of bracing member capacity was presented.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.68 no.5
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• pp.621-632
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• 2018

Soft-story buildings have bottom stories much less rigid than the top stories and are susceptible to earthquake damage. Therefore, the seismic design specifications need strict design considerations in such cases. In this paper, a four-story building was investigated as a case study and the effects of X-braces elimination in its lower stories studied. In addition, the possibility of replacement of the X-braces in soft-stories with equivalent moment resisting frame inspected in two different phases. In first phase, the stiffness of X-braces and equivalent moment-resisting frames evaluated using classic equations. In final phase, diagonals removed from the lowest story to develop a soft-story and replaced with moment resisting frames. Then, the seismic stiffness variation of moment-resisting frame evaluated using nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. The results show that substitution of braced frames with an equivalent moment-resisting frame of the same stiffness increases story drift and reduces energy absorption capacity. However, it is enough to consider the needs of building codes, even using equivalent moment resisting frame instead of X-Braces, to avoid soft-story stiffness irregularity in seismic design of buildings. Besides, soft-story development in the second story may be more critical under strong ground excitations, because of interaction of adjacent stories.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.523-535
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• 2014

According to the capacity design concept underlying current steel seimsic provisions, the braces in concentrically braced frames should dissipate seismic energy through cyclic tension yielding and compression buckling. On the other hand, the beams and the columns in the braced bay should remain elastic for gravity load actions and additional column axial forces resulting from the brace buckling and yielding. However, due to the difficulty in accumulating the yielding and buckling-induced column forces from different stories, empirical and often conservative approaches have been used in design practice. Recently a totally different approach was proposed by Cho, Lee, and Kim (2011) for the prediction of column axial forces in inverted V-braced frames by explicitly considering brace buckling. The idea proposed in their study is extended to X-braced seismic frames which have structural member configurations and load transfer mechanism different from those of inverted V-braced frames. Especially, a more efficient rule is proposed in combining multi-mode effects on the column axial forces by using the modal-mass based weighting factor. The four methods proposed in this study are evaluated based on extensive inelastic dynamic analysis results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.173-190
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• 2015

This study presents an analytical investigation on the seismic response of a medium-rise buckling-restrained braced frame (BRBF) under the near-fault ground motions. A seven-story BRBF is designed as per the current code provisions for five different combinations of brace configurations and beam-column connections. Two types of brace configurations (i.e., Chevron and Double-X) are considered along with a combination of the moment-resisting and the non-moment-resisting beam-to-column connections for the study frame. Nonlinear dynamic analyses are carried out for all study frames for an ensemble of forty SAC near-fault ground motions. The main parameters evaluated are the interstory and residual drift response, brace displacement ductility, and plastic hinge mechanisms. Fragility curves are developed using log-normal probability density functions for all study frames considering the interstory drift ratio and residual drift ratio as the damage parameters. The average interstory drift response of BRBFs with Double-X brace configurations significantly exceeded the allowable drift limit of 2%. The maximum displacement ductility characteristics of BRBs is efficiently utilized under the seismic loading if these braces are arranged in the Double-X configurations instead of Chevron configurations in BRBFs located in the near-fault regions. However, BRBFs with the Double-X brace configurations exhibit the higher interstory drift and residual drift response under near-fault ground motions due to the formation of plastic hinges in the columns and beams at the intermediate story levels.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.111-119
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• 2005

This study presents continuous and discrete optimum design algorithm and computer programs for unbraced and braced steel frame structures under earthquake loads. The program, which is avaliable to perform structural analysis and optimum design, continuous and discrete, simultaneously is developed. And the program adopts various braced types, Untraced, Z-braced(V), Z-braced(inverse-V), X-braced(A), X-braced(B), X-braced(C) and K-braced, in steel structures with static loads and seismic effects. The objectives in this optimization are to minimize the total weight of steel, and design variables, based on the ultimate strength requirements of AISC-ASD specifications, the serviceability requirements and allowable story drift requirements of ATC-3-06, and various constraints. The purpose is to present proper braced type for seismic effects by comparing and analysing results of various cases.