Experimental modeling for effect of knee fuse perforated web on performance of structural knee fuse subjected to cyclic loading in steel knee braced frames

Abstract

In a knee steel braced frame the main diagonal braces are connected to short knee elements. The knee elements act sacrificially and reducing the demands on the main structure during an earthquake, and can be replaced after the earthquake. However, careful design of the knee elements is required to ensure that they are able to absorb energy through repeated large plastic deformation without suffering collapse or instability. A program of laboratory testing has been undertaken in order to optimize the design and useful results from experimental tests are presented in this paper. For testing, the knee elements were mounted horizontally in a reaction frame and loaded vertically by a hydraulic actuator. In this research one kind of new weakening symmetrical perforated knee element are studied. Extensive experimental program of experimental testing by applied cyclic loading behavior on perforated knee element fuse and compare that’s result with a solid element fuse has been undertaken. ANSYS software was used for simulation and the numerical analyses in order to verified experimental tests for specimens. Results show that applied cyclic loading on both knee specimens produce sustain stable hysteresis loops and it is shown that excellent performance to absorb energy can be achieved using perforated knee elements.

Keywords

• experimental
• knee element
• loading
• cyclic
• brace
• frame