Cyclic Behavior of All-steel BRBs with Bolted Angle Restrainers: Testing and Numerical Analysis

This study presents the sub-assemblage tests on six all-steel buckling-restrained braces (ABRBs) with bolted angle restrainers. The clearance between the core and restrainers, the core configurations, and the position of stoppers were varied in the experiments. ABRBs with stopper welded in the elastic segments and a higher clearance exhibited higher cumulative ductility. The specimen with perforated core plates showed a stable hysteretic response even for a smaller gap width. Numerical modeling was conducted to predict their hysteretic response and the core fracture of ABRBs. The proposed modeling technique successfully predicted the hysteretic response and the core fracture of braces.