Seismic performance of high-strength steel fabricated eccentrically braced frame with vertical shear link

In high-strength steel fabricated eccentrically braced frame with vertical shear link (HSSEBF-VSL), the vertical shear links use conventional steel while beam and column use high-strength steel (HSS). Using HSS for beams and columns in HSSEBF-VSL can reduce steel weight and increased economic efficiency. In this paper, static tests for two 1:2 length scaled HSSEBF-VSL specimens with one-bay and one-story were carried out, including one static pushover test and one cyclic loading test. The failure mode, load-bearing, ductility and energy dissipation capacities of the specimens were studied through the two static tests. Shake table test of a 1:2 length scaled three-story HSSEBF-VSL specimen was used to study its dynamic responses and dynamic strain responses of the vertical shear links. In addition, the finite element models of several HSSEBF-VSL and conventional EBF with vertical shear link (EBF-VSL) buildings were established for seismic effects. Nonlinear pushover and dynamic analyses were conducted to compare their seismic performance and economy. The test results indicated that the specimen with one-bay and one story had reliable lateral stiffness, ductility and energy dissipation capacity. The three-story specimen had good lateral stiffness and there was no dangerous of collapse for the specimen during the severe earthquakes. Under the same design conditions, the seismic performance of HSSEBF-VSL was slightly lower than that of EBF-VSL if it was designed to match the member section strength of EBF-VSL, but it used less steel than that of EBF-VSL, which could reduce the usage amount of steel in HSSEBF-VSL.