Effect of Vertical Shear Link on the Operation of Elements and Response Modification Factor of Rehabilitated Concrete Structures

Existing reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings with non-ductile detailing represent a considerable hazard during earthquakes. These types of buildings suffered severe damages and were responsible for most of the loss of life during the major seismic events. Among seismic performance upgrading methods, several options are normally available, and one of them is to employ energy dissipation devices (Aniello, 2007). Energy input by a strong earthquake is expected to be greatly dissipated by these devices, (Ghobarah, 2001) and if they are damaged, the rehabilitation is quite easy after the earthquake since these devices are designed to be replaceable (Ramadan, 1995). In particular, this paper focuses on removable steel eccentric bracing systems (EBs).