Seismic Behavior of Vertical Shear Links made of Easy-Going Steel

Problem Statement: Since the time that steel was first used as a construction material, engineers have attempted to increase strength, reduce weight and produce more economical structures by using elegant member sections. However, the increase in steel strength and the decrease in cross section area are not always useful and in some cases it is necessary to reduce the strength to allow the structure to behave in a specific manner. This issue is seen in systems designed to withstand lateral loads, such as wind and earthquake loads. Approach: To improve the seismic behavior of braced frames, the V-EBF system with shear panels made of easy-going steel is presented. Using the finite element method, braced frames with shear panels made of easy-going steel were analyzed and compared to the behavior of the same frame with shear panels made of construction steel. The influence of shear panel systems made of easy-going steel is investigated by inserting this system in 4, 8 and 12-storey frames and analyzing them under earthquake loads. Results: The results indicate that contrary to shear panels made of construction steel no local buckling occurs in shear panels made of easy-going steel and the energy dissipation and ductility are increased considerably. Consequently, frames with shear panels made of easy-going steel exhibit better performance and energy absorption. Conclusion: In this research, it is attempted to improve the behavior of V-EBF frames by using a new type of steel, EGS, which has a lower yield stress than construction steel. The study shows that if EGS is used in a shear panel, seismic behavior of these frames improves noticeably.