A steel bracing system dissipating energy through moment-rotation hysteresis loops
Alessandro Mei, Federico Gusella, Maurizio Orlando
Abstract
According to the capacity design method, earthquake-resistant structures should be able to dissipate energy through dissipative regions, which are expected to yield while the other structural members remain in the elastic field during seismic excitation. The non-linear response of a bracing system, in which energy dissipation relies on a fuse, is investigated through experimental tests and numerical analyses. Loading on the fuse is a combination of bending moment, axial, and shear load. Results provide valuable information on the influence of several design parameters, such as the member cross-section compactness, shape, and member slenderness. The stability of the moment-rotation hysteresis loops and the energy dissipation are assessed through cyclic tests. To promote the utilization of the proposed bracing system in earthquake resistant steel structures, the work concludes by highlighting that the fuses are easily replaceable while ensuring ductile system response.