Seismic performance of RC frames with concentric internal steel bracing

• Published in: Engineering structures Vol. 29; no. 7; pp. 1561 - 1568
• Main Authors: Youssef, M.A., Ghaffarzadeh, H., Nehdi, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Braced frames; Building structure; Buildings. Public works; Construction (buildings and works); Cyclic load; Design; Durability. Pathology. Repairing. Maintenance; Exact sciences and technology; Geotechnics; Moment frames; Reinforced concrete; Reinforced concrete structure; Repair (reinforcement, strenthening); Scaling; Structure-soil interaction; Testing; Design; Braced frames; Moment frames; Cyclic load; Scaling; Reinforced concrete; Testing; Performance evaluation; Brace; Experimental device; Steel; Frame structure; Seismic analysis; Failure analysis; Concrete construction; Reinforcement; Beam column structure; Stiffness
• ISSN: 0141-0296; 1873-7323
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2006.08.027

Steel bracing has proven to be one of the most effective systems in resisting lateral loads. Although its use to upgrade the lateral load capacity of existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames has been the subject of numerous studies, guidelines for its use in newly constructed RC frames still need to be developed. In this paper, the efficiency of using braced RC frames is experimentally evaluated. Two cyclic loading tests were conducted on a moment frame and a braced frame. The moment frame was designed and detailed according to current seismic codes. A rational design methodology was adopted to design the braced frame including the connections between the brace members and the concrete frame. Test results showed that the braced frame resisted higher lateral loads than the moment frame and provided adequate ductility. The adopted methodology for designing the braced frame resulted in an acceptable seismic performance and thus represents the first step in the development of design guidelines for this type of frames.