SEISMIC PERFORMANCE STUDY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME WITH SELF-CENTERING BRACES

A mechanical model is proposed accurately describe the hysteretic behavior of pre-pressed spring self-centering energy dissipation (PS-SCED) brace. The state variables are introduced to distinguish different stages of PS-SCED brace and then its mechanical responses are determined. The secondary development of the mechanical model is carried out based on ABAQUS. The simulation results of the developed PS-SCED brace element are compared with the test results of the brace, and the seismic performances of a 3-story reinforced concrete frame structure with PS-SCED braces are analyzed. The results indicate that the hysteretic curves obtained from the brace element simulation agree well with the test results, and the brace element is accurate enough to describe the mechanical performance of the brace under dynamic loads. The seismic energy dissipates sufficiently and the plastic deformation of the structure is controlled effectively by PS-SCED braces subjected to strong earthquake. Additionally, the residual deformations of frame structure with PS-SCED braces are reduced by 72.1%~92.1% compared with the original frame structure. The PS-SCED brace exhibits full hysteretic performances with good energy dissipation capacity and self-centering behavior, which significantly improves the seismic performances of reinforced concrete frame structures.