Analytical and experimental study of fuses with simple replaceability in eccentrically-braced frames

Recent research has focused on members that dissipate earthquake energy and are easily replaceable after a severe earthquake with minimal repair costs. These members are called structural fuses in the terminology. In eccentric frames, these fuses absorb and concentrate the earthquake force and take it into the non-linear area before damage is done to the braces, columns, and out-of-link beams. There was both an experimental and an analytical study of how to make a simple replaceable fuse element that can be used in frames that are eccentrically braced. The proposed fuse element consists of the link beam and a number of steel sheets at its end, which connect the link beam to the out- of-link beam through a fully hinged connection, in the form of Tongue and groove. As the load is cyclically applied to the eccentric frame (compressive and tensile), the fuse concentrates the force in the beam and dissipates the earthquake force. The numerical studies of the three-dimensional integrated finite element model of the eccentric frame with a fuse show that the damage was limited to the cross-section of the fuse and not to any other parts of the structure. Experiments on the full-scale frame were conducted to investigate the behavior more closely and validate the numerical studies. Furthermore, this system has shown similar hysteresis behavior under both tension and pressure. However, because the damage is concentrated on a relatively small element, and the frame is fully hinged connection, a damaged fuse can be easily replaced, and the building will be usable again with a small cost.