Hysteresis Characteristics of Buckling Restrained Brace with Precast RC Restraining Elements

The conventional brace system is generally accepted as the lateral load resisting system for steel structures due to efficient story drift control and economic feasibility. But lateral stiffness of the structure decreases when buckling happens to the brace in compression, so that it results in unstable structure with unstable hysteresis behavior through strength deterioration. Buckling restrained brace(BRB) system, in which steel core is confined by mortar/concrete-filled tube, represents stable behavior in the post-yield range because the core`s buckling is restrained. So, seismic performance of BRB is much better than that of conventional brace system in point of energy absorption capacity, and it is applied the most in high seismicity regions as damper element. BRBs with various shaped-sections have been developed across the globe, but the shapes experimented in Korea are now quite limited. In this study, we considered built-up type of restraining member made up of precast reinforcement concrete and the steel core. we experimented the BRB according to AISC(2005) and evaluated seismic performances and hysteresis characteristics.