A Review on the Novel Technics Used in the Finite Element Simulation Procedure of HSS Braces

Steel frames are the most significant structural systems in the construction industry. Among many forms of such frames, braced frame is built commonly all around the world. In these structural systems, brace elements are used to resist the lateral loads imposed by ground shakings. Many investigators are trying to get insight into the real behavior of such elements. In this case, many experimental tests are being accomplished in laboratories in order to find the seismic performance of the steel braces. However, many experimental tests should be done for obtaining such insight, because they must be constructed with many configurations to reflect the braces used in practice. Therefore, finite element (FE) simulation of the braces is of the essence in this case. In this paper, FE simulation procedure of hollow structural section (HSS) in Abaqus software is discussed in detail. At the end, the results of both experimental and computer-based models are compared to each other.