Buckling-Restrained Brace: History, Design and Applications

Abstract

Buckling-restrained braces (BRBs), which were first applied in 1989 in Japan, are now widely used worldwide as ductile seismic-proof members in seismic zones, such as those in Japan, USA, Taiwan, China, Turkey, and New Zealand. Although the design procedures of BRBs and their applications are described in the design codes and recommendations of several countries, they do not necessarily cover all the required aspects. Moreover, various new types of BRBs are still under investigation by many researchers. In this paper, the early history of BRB research and development and state-of-the-art views on the items required to design BRBs for obtaining stable hysteresis are briefly overviewed. This is followed by a summary of various representative application concepts and up-to-date investigations.