Cyclic Shear Yielding of Wide-Flange Beams

The results of experiments with wide-flange steel beams subjected to cyclic shear yielding are described. The tests indicate that beams that yield in shear show stable behavior at large cyclic deflections, and they dissipate large amounts of energy. The significance of cross-sectional warping is shown, and the beneficial effect of the formation of cyclic diagonal tension fields is described. An analytical model is developed for predicting the inelastic behavior of shear yielding elements which shows good correlation with the test results. An application for accurately predicting the global behavior of eccentrically braced steel frames subjected to cyclic loading characteristic of the problem in aseismic design illustrates the usefullness of the developed analytical model.