Study of Adding Cover—Plate Used For the Single Diagonal Eccentrically Braced Steel Frames

Abstract

This paper suggested a new connection protocol, adding cover-plate between shear links and column, which was used to enhance moment and shear carrying capacity of beam, relax the restriction and assure the sufficiency development of plastic deformation of the link, and dissipate more earthquake energy. Considering the scale ratio of 1:3, the experimental data was achieved by a specimen under cyclic loading, which was verified by nonlinear finite element analyses. Results indicated that the new type of eccentrically braced steel frame has enough stiffness and deformation capacity, draws link away from flange of column, and dissipates more earthquake energy. The single diagonal eccentrically braced frames adopted adding cover-plate protocol would ensure sufficient lateral stiffness under ordinary circumstances, including lateral loads due to wind and moderate seismic disturbances, have preferable resisting seismic behavior under rare earthquake, and be so practical and costly that they could be easily applied in the present project. Some factors which affect resisting seismic behavior were the thickness of the connection-plate between beam and column, adding stiffeners, and the decrease in the length of A segment etc.