Seismic Assessment of Concentrically Braced Steel Frames with Shape Memory Alloy Braces

The use of special concentrically braced frames has increased since the 1994 Northridge and 1995 Hyogoken–Nanbu Earthquakes. However, past performance suggests limited ductility and energy dissipation in braced frame systems due to buckling of conventional braces. In order to address this limitation, three- and six-story concentrically braced frames with superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) braces are studied to evaluate their seismic performance in comparison to traditional systems. SMAs are unique metallic alloys that have the ability to undergo large deformations while reverting back to their original undeformed shape providing recentering capabilities to the braced frame. Detailed analytical models of the frames with SMA braces are developed and two suites of ground motions are used to evaluate the structures with respect to interstory drift and residual drift. The results suggest that the SMA braces are effective in limiting interstory drifts and residual drifts during an earthquake, in part, due to the recentering nature of superelastic SMAs.