The Hybrid Simulation of a Steel Frame Strengthened by Fully Mechanical Braces

Effectiveness of steel bracing system installed with fully mechanical interfaces is experimentally demonstrated through a series of monotonic and cyclic loading tests. Also, substructuring pseudo-dynamic earthquake response tests are performed on a possible situation of a two-story braced frame upgraded by the proposed bracing system. An earthquake record and theoretical impulses are adopted as input excitations. The results show that an impulsive excitation acts more stringently on the occurrence of brace breaking.