Seismic Behavior of Full‐Scale Concentrically Braced Steel Building Structure

Abstract

The seismic test results on a full‐scale six‐story, 2 by 2 bay, steel building with concentric‐K braces forming a “dual system” are reported. The steel building was constructed at the Large Size Structure Laboratory of the Building Research Institute of the Japanese Ministry of Construction and the seismic tests were run as a six‐degree‐of‐freedom pseudo‐dynamic system (on‐line computer system) to ascertain the ultimate lateral load‐carrying capacity and deformability of the full‐scale structure. The test results illustrate not only the capacity of the pseudo‐dynamic testing technique but also the importance of the precise prediction of the interaction of the post‐buckling behavior of the bracing members including local failure of them and the elasto‐plastic behavior of the moment‐resisting frames. The test results also show that the three‐dimensional effects in the test building cannot be ignored if an accurate estimate of the elastic story stiffness of the test structure is to be achieved.