Abstract:
Buckling restrained braces (BRB) are widely adopted energy-dissipation devices in buildings located at high-intensity seismic regions. A traditional BRB is difficult to repair after an earthquake. Due to the corresponding non-adjustable parameters, it cannot meet the demand for the coordinated control of structural responses under different levels of earthquakes. To address this issue, a novel repairable asynchronized parallel double-stage yielding buckling restrained brace (RAPDYBRB) is herein proposed. To investigate its working mechanism, this study conducted a comparison of the aseismic performance of RAPDYBRBs before and after repair. The corresponding failure mode, hysteretic characteristics, and ductility before and after repair as well as the fatigue performance after repair were analyzed. The results indicated that a RAPDYBRB exhibited the expected double-stage working characteristics, with stable hysteretic performance and good energy-dissipation capacity. The maximum relative errors of the average displacement and of the load at the characteristic points of the hysteretic curves of the specimens before and after repair were 3.14% and 3.39%, respectively. The cumulative energy-dissipation curves and stiffness degradation curves were essentially identical, which verifies that the seismic performance of the RAPDYBRB remains essentially consistent before and after repair. After 30 cycles of fatigue testing, the peak load of the repaired specimen only decreased by 2.01%, demonstrating the stable mechanical properties of the repaired specimen. This provides an important reference for the in-depth development of related research.