Lin, Chen, Yan, and Hu, 2020
This paper introduces a high-strength steel frame structure with replaceable energy-dissipating fuses. Nine specimens within this system are subjected to displacement-controlled cyclic loading against a control group without a fuse and a mild steel group without a fuse. It was found that the fuse was effective at dissipating energy and preventing buckling and fracturing at the beam-column joint.
System Concept
The system tested within this paper includes high-strength seel beams and columns arranged in a T joint with welded connections in order to maximize the elastic response of the system. At the beam-column connection, a replaceable damage-control fuse is inserted to diffuse seismic energy and prevent fracturing of the welding. The thickness and shape of the fuse plates varied among the different groups in order to determine which type of fuse was best suited for dissipating seismic energy.
Experimental Study, Results, and Discussion
An actuator was used to perform a displacement controlled cyclic load test on the T joint of eleven different specimens. The specimen included one mild steel joint, one high strength steel joint, and nine high strength steel joint with different fuses varying in thickness and shape. The different fuses included arc plate, slot plate, flat plate, strengthened flat plate, and buckling partially restrained plate. The actuator increased the applied magnitude of the drift ratio after every two identical cycles, starting at 0.25% and ending at 6%. Loading was terminated if the joint gap was closed or fracturing was evident in the welding of the welding of the T joint. While the shapes of the fuses had little influence on the seismic behavior in the T joints, the thickness of the plate improved seismic performance. Strengthening the fuse plate or installing a buckling plate also increased the deformation capacity.
Reference
Lin, X.,Chen, Y., Yan, J., and Hu, Y. (2020). “Seismic Behavior of Welded Beam-to-Column Joints of High-Strength Steel-Moment Frames with Replaceable Damage-Control Fuses,” Journal of Structural Engineering, 146. 8, pp. 7.