Shake Table Testing of a Low-Damage Steel Frame Building Incorporating Asymmetric and Symmetric Friction Connections
摘要
A 10.5 m tall three-storey steel frame composite floor building incorporating friction-based connections is being tested using two linked bi-directional shake tables at the International joint research Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering (ILEE) facilities in Shanghai, China. Beams, braces, and columns are designed to remain elastic during earthquake events, with major non-linear behaviour occurring through stable sliding frictional behaviour, dissipating energy through Optimised Sliding Hinge Joints (OSHJs) at the beam-to-column connections in the longitudinal direction and Symmetric Friction Connections with Belleville Springs (SFCBeSs) at brace to gusset plate connections in the transverse direction. The building performed well in all levels of shaking, and “low damage” building inspection techniques were found an effective and economical way to facilitate access to the non-linear components for quicker post-earthquake inspection and decisions on any repairs needed can be made.