Behavior of steel unbonded brace in seismic strengthening of reinforced concrete buildings

One of the strengthening methods in reinforced concrete frame buildings is improving seismic behavior of such structures by means of steel bracing. When influenced by compressive stresses، traditional steel braces would buckle and are free of any ductility. As a result، efforts in order to restrain buckling problem for steel braces has led to creation of steel unbonded brace. In these braces، Eulerian buckling of central steel core is controlled by placing in a steel tube full of mortar. In this paper، RC buildings of 6، 12 and 18 stories are first designed based on standard 2800 and then controlled based on the rehabilitation regulation and the third edition of standard 2800. After analyzing and in order to improve seismic behavior، these buildings are strengthened by the use of common braces and steel unbonded braces and the columns of braced frames are also reinforced by concrete jacket. Totally، 42 models were analyzed by nonlinear static analysis (pushover analysis). The results indicate that structures with traditional braces have weakness in high level of drifts due to buckling of compressive braces and the energy absorption in 12 and 18 stories structures is even lower than non-strengthened structures. Nevertheless، this defect is removed by applying unbounded braces because of somehow identical behavior in extension and pressure as well as utilizing total capacity of these kinds of brace. Also، in comparison with structures with traditional braces and non-strengthened structures، a high level of energy absorption will be obtained. One of the strengthening methods in reinforced concrete frame buildings is improving seismic behavior of such structures by means of steel bracing. When influenced by compressive stresses، traditional steel braces would buckle and are free of any ductility. As a result، efforts in order to restrain buckling problem for steel braces has led to creation of steel unbonded brace. In these braces، Eulerian buckling of central steel core is controlled by placing in a steel tube full of mortar. In this paper، RC buildings of 6، 12 and 18 stories are first designed based on standard 2800 and then controlled based on the rehabilitation regulation and the third edition of standard 2800. After analyzing and in order to improve seismic behavior، these buildings are strengthened by the use of common braces and steel unbonded braces and the columns of braced frames are also reinforced by concrete jacket. Totally، 42 models were analyzed by nonlinear static analysis (pushover analysis). The results indicate that structures with traditional braces have weakness in high level of drifts due to buckling of compressive braces and the energy absorption in 12 and 18 stories structures is even lower than non-strengthened structures. Nevertheless، this defect is removed by applying unbounded braces because of somehow identical behavior in extension and pressure as well as utilizing total capacity of these kinds of brace. Also، in comparison with structures with traditional braces and non-strengthened structures، a high level of energy absorption will be obtained.