Cumulative Deformation Capacity of Steel Braces under Various Cyclic Loading Histories

Abstract

The postbuckling behavior of seismic-resistant braces in steel frames under a cyclic axial force is often evaluated by time–history analyses; however, brace fracture is seldom considered. The authors previously proposed a physical model for predicting the moment of fracture of circular-tube braces after buckling using phenomenological hysteresis. However, the accuracy of that model was confirmed only against the test results of the gradually increasing amplitude loading protocol, and its applicability under other loading histories has not yet been verified. In this study, cyclic loading tests were carried out until fracture on circular-tube and H-section braces under various loading histories, followed by FEM analyses. The validity of the proposed formulas for evaluating the strain-concentration index under various loading histories was examined. The proposed method was used for predicting the moment of fracture and the cumulative deformation capacity until fracture, and the predictions agreed well with the test results.