Seismic Performance of Braced Frame Focusing on Brace Fracture

A moment frame with bracing elements is one of efficient seismic-resistant structural system used in elastic design. However, when the seismic input is larger than the buckling strength of the braces, the braces first undergo overall buckling and subsequent local buckling; further, concentration of plastic strain in the local buckling zone leads to brace fracture. The authors have previously proposed a brace fracture prediction method. In this study, they carry out time-history response analyses for braced frames using the proposed method and investigate the seismic performance of frames, by taking the effect of brace fracture into account.