Study on Novel Multi-segment Replaceable Profiled Steel Shear Links

The shear link consists of a central shear link connected to two linked beams through dismountable connections at its two ends, forming a multi-segmental shear link that is replaceable. The replaceable shear link serves as the structural fuse which is connected to the dual steel columns by some specialized connections to be replaced readily after earthquake. The multi-segment shear link helps to energy dissipation at the time of earthquake. The central shear link is designed as the primary fuse, while the linked beams act as a secondary fuse. This study is intended to enhance the seismic resilience of structures by designing an innovative linked columns frame system that can effectively dissipate energy during an earthquake consisting of dual steel columns and the multi-segment profiled replaceable steel shear link. The multi-segment replaceable profiled shear link is composed of a corrugated central shear link connected to two linked beams. To examine the behaviour of multi-segment corrugated shear link the nonlinear finite element model of the proposed link was developed and results were compared with multi-segmental shear link which designed by central link made of flat web plate with stiffeners and without stiffeners. The study indicates that proposed links show higher shear performance and better load carrying capacity. Finite element analysis software ANSYS is used for the analysis. The design parameters include the link length ratio, thickness, and height of the corrugated central shear link. The results are compared in the terms of link rotation, drift angle, shear capacity and strength.