Buckling-Restrained Braced Frames

by
Walterio A. Lpez, SE
Rafael Sabelli, SE

Rutherford & Chekene

Walter P Moore

Buckling-Restrained Braced Frames

(BRBFs)
Code Intent
How BRBs work
Brief History of BRBFs in US Codes
Sample BRBF Construction
Brief treatment on testing
Building-Code Design
Design Methodology
Specification, Other Issues
Gusset Connections
Summary

Code Intent

Building-Code Philosophy
Objective:

Prevent collapse in the extreme

earthquake likely to occur at a
building site.

Objectives are not to:

limit damage
maintain function
provide for easy repair

To survive a strong earthquake

without collapse:
Design for Ductile Behavior
Material Ductility
Member Ductility
System Ductility

AISC Methodology
Designate fuses
Members that undergo inelastic strain

Provide ductility in fuse members

Prevent local buckling
Prevent member instability
Prevent connection failure

Design system to ensure ductility is concentrated

in fuses

How BRBs work

What is a Buckling-restrained Brace?

Two Definitions

Stress
resisted by
steel core
Buckling
resisted by
sleeve
De-Coupled Stress and Buckling
(Mechanics Definition)

Balanced Hysteresis
(Performance Definition)

BRB Definitions Explained:

Conventional Bracing

Brace behavior is
asymmetric with
respect to tension
and compression
and is subject to
strength and
stiffness
degradation

Tension

Ry Ag Fy

Pcr

Compression

BRB Definitions Explained:

Sleeved Column
2

c ~ 0
kl/ ~ 0
r

Compression Strength

Steel core achieves Fy A

EI
2

Fy A

Sleeve achieves 2EI/L2

Stress is zero
No material stress limit

Slenderness Parameter c

Brief History of BRBFs

in US Codes

Historical Background
1st BRBF paper: 2000 SEAOC Convention
BRBF design presentations:
SEAOC: 2001-2006
NASCC: 2004, 2005
Steel TIPS Seminars: 2004
ASCE Structures Congress: 2005
AISC braced frame seminars: 2005, 2006

BRBFs in U.S. to date: >100 bldgs, >15,000

BRBs

Background (recent past/present)

SEAOC/AISC BRBF committee

Background (present)

Sample BRBF Construction

Sample Construction

Sample Construction

Sample Construction

Buckling-Restrained Brace Types

Buckling
Restrained
Brace

PowerCat
Brace

ACME
Bracing
Company

Unbonded Brace

Buckling-Restrained Brace Assembly

Core

Buckling-Restrained Brace Assembly

Sleeve

Buckling-Restrained Brace Mechanics

Unbonded
Brace Type

Encasing
mortar

Yielding steel
core

Decoupling

Debonding material
between steel core and
mortar

Steel tube

Buckling
Restraint

Brief treatment on testing

Selected Testing Data

Literature
Reference

Test Type

Number
of Tested
Braces

SIE, 1999

Uniaxial

2.1

SIE, 2001

Uniaxial

2.1

UC Berkeley, 2002

Frame
(Subassemblage)

1.8 - 2.1

Merritt et al., 2003a

Subassemblage

2.4 - 2.7

Merritt et al., 2003b

Subassemblage

1.8 - 2.6

Merritt et al., 2003c

Uniaxial

1.6, 1.7

SIE, 2003

Subassemblage

1.6 3.0

Brace
Strain
(%)

BRB Tests Short Summary

About 50+ different brace tests have been

performed in support of US projects

All tests results so far have met Appendix Ts

acceptance criteria

Tests have included Appendix T, moment frame,

near-field, and fatigue displacement protocols

Kinematic rotations of brace ends were not

detrimental to brace performance

Building-Code Design

ASCE 7 2005 (with Supplement 1)

R Values
7 for Basic BRBF System
8 for BRBF System with Rigid Beam-Column
Connections
8 for BRBF/SMF Dual System

ASCE 7 2005 (with Supplement 1)

o Values
2 for Basic BRBF System
21/2 for BRBF System with Rigid Beam-Column
Connections
21/2 for BRBF/SMF Dual System

ASCE 7 2005 (with Supplement 1)

Cd Values
51/2 for Basic BRBF System
5 for BRBF System with Rigid Beam-Column
Connections
5 for BRBF/SMF Dual System

ASCE 7 2005 (with Supplement 1)

Height Limits
Separated by Seismic Design Category:
B&C D
E
F
NL
160* 160 100 for Basic BRBF System
NL

160* 160

100

for BRBF System with Rigid

Beam-Column Connections

NL

NL

NL

for BRBF/SMF Dual System

NL

(NL = Not Limited)

*Can be increased to 240 for regular buildings.

ASCE 7 2005 (with Supplement 1)

Coefficients for Determination of
Approximate Period
Ta = Cr (H/ft.)x
Cr
= 0.03
(ASCE to incorporate)
x
= 0.75
(Similar to EBF)

Combined effect of R and T

Design Base Shear

SCBF
BRBF
SCBF Building
BRBF Building

Period

Design Methodology

Design Procedure
Define appropriate BRB modeling
Determine required brace strength
Check drift
Determine brace displacements at 2.0 m
Compare required displacements to existing tests
Plan and conduct new tests?

Determine adjusted BRB strengths at 2.0 m

Requires test data or manufacturers summary

Calculate required strength of columns, beams, and

connections based on adjusted BRB strengths

BRBF Design Methodology

BRB is energy dissipater
Steel core material

specified as mild & ductile

Design checks:
BRB Pn
Global drift
BRB deformation, bM
Adjusted BRB strengths

Beam Ru/Rn
Column Ru/Rn
Connections Ru/Rn

Analysis
Gravity Load
Size frame to resist 100% of gravity
All load combinations
Do not model braces as resisting gravity load

Check that braces do not yield under Live Load

Seismic Load
Size braces for seismic load only
Do not model braces to resist gravity load
Size for 100% of seismic load?
Or consider shear in columns
Found by analysis

Size frame considering plastic mechanism

Design Summary
Load Combination
Gravity
Seismic
1.2D + 1.6L 1.2D + 0.5L + E
Frame

Braces

Design for maximum

Design for 100% of brace forces, plus 100% of
load
gravity
Check to make
sure live load does
not cause (cyclic)
yielding

Design for seismic force

from analysis; do not
include gravity

Brace Stiffness
Kbr = P/
~ PLy/AyE
Ly = 0.5-0.8 L
(depending on
brace type and
configuration)

Kbr = 1.2 - 2.0 AyE /L

Ly
Flexibility E A
sc

L Ly
EA

nonyielding

BRB Modeling
Kbr

= 1.3 AscE /L ?

Kbr

= 1.6 AscE /L ?

BRB Modeling (Nonlinear)

Isotropic and kinematic strain hardening

Difference in tension/compression values
Modified DRAIN, PERFORM 3D

Steel Core Material

Specifications
ASTM A36 Grade 36/42
JIS G3136 SN400B

Wide range of yield strength not desired

Solution: supplementary yield strength
requirements verified by coupon tests
Current practice: material procured based on
MTRs, coupon tests performed prior to
fabrication

Preliminary BRB Design

F

Pu =

F
2 cos

Asc

Pu

Fysc

Assume braces
resist 100% of
story shear

Design braces to
calculated capacity
(Pu = Pn = FyscAsc)

BRB Axial Deformation Check

Compute elastic story drift X
Extract from analysis program bX = brace at X
story drift

BRB Axial Deformation Check

bX is computed at largest elastic story drift
( = 1.0 for drift)

Compute bM = Cd bX = brace at M story drift

Compute max. brace strain MAX= 2.0bM / Lysc
MAX cannot exceed maximum value tested
If MAX exceeds tested values, resize BRB

BRB Axial Deformation Comparison

For a ASCE 7 earthquake (2/3 of MCE)
2.0 bm ~ 10 by (elastic methods, Ch. 16)
Mean = 9-11 by (Sabelli, Fahnestock)
For a 2%/50 year event
Not addressed in codes
Mean = 17-19 by (Sabelli, Fahnestock)
Ductilities underestimated but not forces
Solution: fabricate BRBs to by larger than
predicted by elastic methods

Plastic Mechanism

All braces yielding

Tension or compression
Strain Hardened
Adjusted strength
= Maximum force
Based on first mode

BRB Adjusted Strength

Compression: Ry Fysc Asc
Tension:
Ry Fysc Asc
Adjusted for Various Factors
Strain-Hardening
Compression Overstrength
Ry Material Overstrength
If Fy is used as core yield strength Fysc, Ry is > 1.0
If Fysc is taken from material coupon test, Ry = 1.0.

BRB Adjusted Strength

Factors
Factors Taken from Test Results within 2.0
m.
Compression Strength Adjustment Factor
= Cmax/Tmax

Strain-Hardening Adjustment Factor

= Tmax/FyA

Provided by brace manufacturers

BRB Uniaxial Test Results

Hysteresis courtesy of SIE, Inc.

BRB Adjusted Strength (example)

MAX = 0.98 % at 2.0bM
Go to graph from BRB manufacturer
and obtain:
= 1.22
= 1.25
= /
= 1.25/1.22
= 1.03

BRB Adjusted Strength

Case at inverted-V beam

Frame Design: Model BRB Forces

Directly
RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

RyFyscAsc

Column flexural forces not calculated

Combine with 1.2D + 0.5 L + 0.2 Sds D

Frame Design: Model BRB forces Using

Temperature
E = 1 ksi
= 1/oF
T = RyFysc
Tension
T = RyFysc
Compression
Axial force approximation
Column flexural forces not calculated

Combine with 1.2D + 0.5 L + 0.2 Sds D

Specification, Other Issues

Use of Proprietary BRBs

Engineer Specifies:
Brace Strength
Brace Core Area (or stiffness)
Maximum and Minimum Fy
Displacement range

Manufacturer Provides:
Braces that meet the specification
Test data that qualifies the braces

Typical Specification of BRB Size- ASC

Uncertainty in strength (example)
Calculations
Pn
Ry

= 0.9Aysc (38 ksi)

= 46 ksi/38 ksi = 1.21

Drawings
Asc

= 8.5 in.2

(for example)

Specifications
38 ksi

Fysc 46 ksi

Manufacture
Asc
= 8.5 in.2
323 kips Pysc 391 kips

Proportioning of strength likely similar to design

Alternate Specification of BRB Size- Pysc

Uncertainty in stiffness (example)
Calculations
Pn

= 0.9Asc Fysc

Ry
Asc

= 1.0
= Pn /0.9 (44 ksi) [reasonably low stiffness for analysis]

Pysc

= 323 kips

Drawings

Specifications

where Fysc is measured during manufacture

and Asc is adjusted accordingly

(= Pu /)

38 ksi Fysc 46 ksi

Manufacture

Pysc
= 323 kips
7.0 in.2 Asc 8.5 in.2

Proportioning of stiffness likely similar to design

Construction Administration
General contractor

Steel fabricator
BRB
Detailer

Drawing
Exchange

Fabricator
Detailer

Coordinated submittals:
BRBs, gusset plates, frames

Code Issues

BRB is a better brace that doesn't buckle.

BRB is a performance-specification item.
Single diagonals in one direction and stacked
chevron allowed without penalty.
BRB and gussets often need not be fireproofed.
If manufactured in approved shop, inspections
may be waived.
Non-structural attachments to casing not
prohibited.

Gusset Connections

Sample Connections

Alternative Connections
Direct welding of core

Direct bolting of core

Courtesy of
CoreBrace

Courtesy of
STAR Seismic

Gusset Plate Design Issues

Adjusted BRB strengths readily

determined from backbone
curve (first validation of
methodology)

Frame fixity must be

acknowledged in analyses

Recognize that cyclic testing of

gusset plates not fully
developed

Avoid unnecessary connection

restraint

Potential Connection Issues

Beam (or column) yield at <1%
Rotation ductility not tested
These issues apply to all gussets at large
drift
SCBF and OCBF drift likely to be greater than
BRBF
EBF rotations may be much greater

Potential Connection Issues

Courtesy of K.C. Tsai

Pin Connection

Courtesy of
L. Fahnestock

Summary

BRBF Design Summary

BRB is energy
dissipater

Check BRB ductility

demands

Check surrounding

elements for adjusted

BRB strengths

Overall Summary
BRBs harness steel ductility to provide
member ductility
BRBF provide a ductile system if
Connection failure is precluded
Braces are proportioned to earthquake demand
Frame is designed for plastic mechanism
Braces are properly specified.

Thank You