Investigation on Seismic Performance of the Fully Assembled Steel Frame Applying Beam-Column Joints with Replaceable Energy-Dissipating Elements

Abstract

Based on the application of a beam-column joint with replaceable energy-dissipating elements and hinged beam-column proposed by the author, the seismic performance of a fully assembled steel frame with this joint was investigated in this paper. Through two projects of a traditional steel frame (TSF) and an assembled steel frame applying beam-column joints with replaceable energy-dissipating elements (ASFWREE) and their numerical simulation calculation by SAP2000, the main structural design indicators such as natural vibration period, period ratio, mass participation coefficient, base shear force, inter-story displacement angle, rigid-weight ratio, and shear-weight ratio of two frames under frequent earthquake, and their influence factors were compared and analyzed. By carrying out the elastic–plastic dynamic time–history analysis of two projects under a rare earthquake, the maximum inter-story displacement angle, base shear force, stiffness between floors, maximum vertex displacement, and the occurrence sequence and distribution of plastic hinges of the two items were compared. The results show that the deformation of ASFWREE had the characteristics of the shear deformation of TSF and the deviation of the natural vibration period was less than 5% when the ratio of the linear stiffness of the energy-dissipating element to the steel beam was approximately 0.8, the ratio of horizontal length to span was about 0.25, which was close to the strength grade of the steel beam. The seismic performance under the rare earthquake was close to or higher to that of the TSF, can ensure that the beam and column are not damaged, and the structure does not collapse. The failure mode of the ASFWREE is consistent with the experimental research of the beam-column joints.