Development and Experimental Validation of a Timber Beam-to-Steel Column Connection with Replaceable U-Shaped Fuses
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 11
Abstract
This paper proposes an innovative hybrid timber beam-to-steel column connection for seismic design of multistory buildings. This innovative connection consists of a set of two U-shaped steel fuses connecting a glulam beam to a steel column. U-shaped fuses are designed to dissipate seismic-induced energy and can be replaced after a moderate or potentially strong seismic event. Eight full-scale experiments were conducted, involving four glulam beam specimens with varying thicknesses and eight pairs of fuses with two U-shaped plate configurations (open-fuse and closed-fuse). The key connection performance metrics, including the flexural stiffness and strength, hysteresis response, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity, were investigated using the test results. A set of mechanics-based equations is proposed to estimate flexural stiffness and strength of the connection. The results of the experimental program confirmed that the proposed hybrid connection exhibits a stable hysteresis response without noticeable strength degradation and possesses excellent ductility and energy dissipation capacities. Furthermore, the proposed mechanics-based equations can predict the moment capacity of the connection with sufficient accuracy.
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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
This research was financially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through the Industrial Research Chair in Engineered Wood and Building Systems and Discovery Grant programs. The authors express their gratitude to PAALID ENG for contributing to the design and fabrication of steel fuses, Western Archrib for donating the glulam beams used in the testing, Alberta Innovates for their financial support, and C-FER Technologies for providing the testing facilities and their invaluable assistance in preparing the specimens. Finally, the support by the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) Centre for Steel Structures Education and Research (The Steel Centre) at the University of Alberta is acknowledged.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 11 • November 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 17, 2023
Accepted: May 2, 2024
Published online: Sep 12, 2024
Published in print: Nov 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Feb 12, 2025
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