Experimental Performance of a Full-Scale Spatial RC Frame with Buckling-Restrained Braces Subjected to Bidirectional Loading

To investigate the performance of a RC frame with buckling-restrained braces (RCF-BRB) subjected to bidirectional earthquakes, a full-scale two-story RCF-BRB was tested using substructural pseudodynamic, quasi-static, and pushover techniques. The test results showed that the RCF-BRB designed based on the current Chinese building codes exhibited reliable seismic performance, because the selected performance objectives were achieved in the tests. The specimen displayed an effective and stable energy-dissipating capacity even when the interstory drift exceeded 3%. The pushover test revealed excellent deformation capacity of the RCF-BRB, because the interstory drift ratio reached 5.9% in both loading directions. Compared with conventional gusset plates, the unconstrained gusset plates reduced the damage of the RC members significantly. The strut-and-tie model was confirmed to be reliable for the design of discontinuity regions (D-regions) of the RC beam ends with unconstrained gusset plates.