Shaking Table Tests of a Three-Story Re-Centering Steel Braced Frame with Sliding Slab Connected to Energy Dissipation Devices
Journal
Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics
ISSN
00988847
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Wu, Chi-Jeng
Huang, Li-Yu
Córdova, Alvaro
Lin, Huang-Zuo
Chao, Shu-Hsien
Tsampras, Georgios
Uang, Chia-Ming
Chao, Shih-Ho
Chung, Hsin-Yang
Abstract
Reducing residual deformation or earthquake loads on the frame structure can enhance its seismic performance during ground motions. This study explores a novel system that uses a self-centering brace (SCB) to provide the re-centering capability of the frame and a sliding slab to reduce the system's acceleration. The floors are allowed to slide with respect to the re-centering steel frame by adding low-friction Teflon sheets, while various horizontal energy dissipating devices are used to enhance the seismic response of the frame. A self-centering disc-spring device is added to re-center the slab after sliding in Phase 1. In addition to the spring device, a friction device in Phase 2 or a steel-only sandwiched buckling-restrained brace in Phase 3 is incorporated. The floor is “rigidly” connected to the frame in Phase 4, simulating a typical frame construction. Four phases, comprising 32 shaking table tests, were conducted on the specimen. A near-fault motion record from the 2022 Guanshan and Chihshang earthquake was used. Phase 1 tests demonstrated that the SCB and horizontal disc-spring device could fully re-center both the frame and sliding slab at the maximum-considered earthquake (MCE) level. In Phases 2 and 3, the addition of horizontal energy dissipating devices to the frame reduced slab movement but resulted in higher floor acceleration compared to Phase 1 tests. Compared to Phase 4, the effect of the sliding slab caused a roof drift reduction of 23% and 18%, and a base shear reduction of 15% and 5%, in Phases 2 and 3, respectively. Summary: A new steel system is evaluated by using self-centering brace to provide the re-centering capability of the frame and a sliding slab to reduce the system's acceleration. Evaluate the seismic performance by conducting 32 shaking table tests on the full-scale, three-story steel frame in four different phases. The sliding slab, equipped with SCSDs in parallel with horizontal energy dissipation devices (i.e., FD or H-SBRB), reduced the seismic force on the frame compared to typical steel frames. The residual displacement of the frame specimen with the self-centering brace is very small at an earthquake intensity close to two times the MCE level.
Subjects
friction device
sandwiched buckling-restrained brace
self-centering brace
shaking table test
sliding slab
SDGs
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Type
journal article