Role of compression diagonals in concentrically braced frames in moderate seismicity: A full scale experimental study

The European research project RFSR-CT-2013-00022 MEAKADO investigated the influence of compression diagonals on the global performance of CBF structures, by means of experimental and numerical studies. This paper presents the results of full scale tests performed within this research project, focusing on the stiffness and post-buckling performances of double-angle bracings with bolted connections, which are the most common bracing configurations in the European construction market characterized by low-to-moderate seismicity. Experiments have shown that extra stiffness and strength provided by the contribution of the compression diagonals to the structural response are significant for moderate seismicity drift and shear demands, and may be worth considering in the analysis and design phases.