Detailed Component Modelling of a Self-Centering Energy Dissipative Brace System

Abstract eng:
The self-centering energy-dissipative (SCED) brace is a new steel bracing member that provides damping to a structure and a re-centering capability, reducing or eliminating residual building deformations after major seismic events. Recently, the SCED concept has been extended through the design and construction of a new enhanced-elongation telescoping SCED (or T-SCED) brace that allows for self-centering behaviour over a range that is two times as large as the range that could be achieved by the original SCED bracing system. Previous prototype tests of SCED and T-SCED braces have shown that the simplified estimates of the initial brace stiffness that were previously used do not predict the results from the prototype tests well. To accurately model the mechanics of these new systems, a new software tool has been developed that is able to represent the detailed behaviour of SCED braces to determine realistic brace stiffness and the effect of construction tolerances on the brace behaviour. In this paper, the inner workings of the software tool are described and its analysis results are compared to the test results from the two previous experimental studies to demonstrate the software’s ability to model SCED and T-SCED behaviour accurately.

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