Seismic Performance Assessment of Steel EBFs with Conventional and Replaceable Yielding Links Designed with ASCE 7-16
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 5
Abstract
This paper presents an extensive numerical study on the seismic performance of steel eccentrically braced frames (EBFs) designed according to the ASCE 7-16 standard. A series of EBF building structures ranging from 2 to 12 stories located in downtown Los Angeles are designed with different yielding links, including conventional and replaceable links. The performance of the structures is investigated through nonlinear time-history analyses (NLTHAs) under a suite of 40 ground motions, selected and scaled to match the target uniform hazard spectrum. The peak deformations are first examined to assess the performance of the buildings as well as the design procedure. Residual deformations are also evaluated and critically compared with acceptable limits, to provide insight into the downtime and recovery time of EBFs after major earthquakes. Previous studies have demonstrated that the response of stable yielding systems to major earthquakes is often accompanied by significant residual deformations, and that residual drifts exceeding 0.5% can cause hindrance to the buildings occupants. In EBFs, in addition to residual drifts, residual link rotations are also relevant and expected to be more severe due to the localization of inelastic deformations in the yielding link. For replaceable modular yielding links, significant residual link rotations after major earthquakes will hinder repairs and the link replacement process, which is one of the important design objectives. The performance of EBFs is also compared with what was observed in previous studies for buckling restrained braced frames and special moment resisting frames. In the end, the results from the extensive NLTHAs are used to establish a relationship between peak drifts and peak link rotations in EBFs.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) (ALLRP 560261-20) and Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE VIP II-27058).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 5 • May 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 10, 2023
Accepted: Nov 16, 2023
Published online: Feb 21, 2024
Published in print: May 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jul 21, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Bracing
- Building design
- Construction engineering
- Construction methods
- Continuum mechanics
- Deformation (mechanics)
- Design (by type)
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Earthquake engineering
- Earthquakes
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Frames
- Geohazards
- Geotechnical engineering
- Motion (dynamics)
- Rotation
- Seismic design
- Seismic tests
- Solid mechanics
- Steel frames
- Structural engineering
- Structural mechanics
- Structural members
- Structural systems
- Tests (by type)
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