Experimental study and simplified analysis of EBF fabricated with high strength steel

In Y-shaped eccentrically braced frames fabricated with high strength steel (Y-HSS-EBFs), link and braces use conventional steel, beams and columns use high strength steel. One 1:2 length scaled three-story Y-HSS-EBF specimen with shear links (SY-HSS-EBF) was made to investigate its dynamic performance by shake table test. The dynamic properties, acceleration, displacement and strain responses of the specimen were obtained through the test. In addition, a simplified seismic response analysis model for SY-HSS-EBF was applied based on the restoring force model of SY-HSS-EBF, and this simplified analysis model uses hysteresis rules of multilinear plastic kinematic elements in the SAP2000 program. Results from the simplified analysis were compared with the test results. The test results indicated that the specimen had reliable lateral stiffness and the damages observed at shear links. The interstory drifts of the specimen were lower than the limitations for EBFs during the ground motions with different intensity. The analysis results from the simplified model of SY-HSS-EBF were closed to the test results, which indicated that the simplified analysis model could effectively simulate the elastic and plastic seismic responses of a SY-HSS-EBF structure.