Numerical investigation of truss-shaped braces in eccentrically braced steel frames
Eccentrically braced frames are one of the most popular systems in buildings because they provide both high stiffness and ductility to the structure. Other systems such as moment frames and concentrically braced frames do not usually provide desirable stiffness and ductility, respectively. Steel shear walls are also popular systems in steel buildings; however, they can be expensive due to the large amount of steel used in these systems. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate new types of eccentrically braced frames. In this paper a truss-shaped brace is proposed and its behavior under cyclic loading in an eccentrically braced frame is numerically investigated using finite element software. Different cross-sections are implemented in the truss-shaped brace and the effect of the cross-section on the behavior of the frame is studied and compared to the reference specimen with conventional configuration. The results of this study show that hollow square cross-section with 100 mm width and 4 mm thickness had the best performance in terms of strength, absorbed energy and pinching compared to other specimens.