OUT-OF-PLANE MECHANICAL STABILITY OF BUCKLING-RESTRAINED BRACES USING STEEL MORTAR PLANKS

Abstract

One of the key limits of buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) is overall flexural buckling caused by connection failure, and they are required to exhibit stable hysteresis under cyclic axial loading with initial out-of-plane drifts simulating the bi-directional effects of a ground motion. In this paper, a series of cyclic loading tests with initial out-of-plane drifts for built-up type BRB is carried out, and the stability performance including various connection conditions and initial out-of-plane drifts are researched. These results are compared with the stability evaluation equations proposed by the authors, and the validity and accuracy of these equations are discussed.