Self-centering braced rocking frame systems and displacement-based seismic design method

This paper proposes a resilient structure named self-centering braced rocking frame (SBRF) system, which is designed to achieve large stiffness, large self-centering capacity while maintaining deformation compatibility. Given the excellent seismic performances of resilient structures, a specific four-level seismic fortification objective system for resilient structures has been established, which can be summarized as "no damage under minor and moderate earthquake, replaceable or repairable under major earthquake, and no collapse under mega earthquake". This paper further develops design seismic performance indexes of SBRF systems under the four seismic levels and applies a displacement-based seismic design methodology to design the new system. A four-story structure design example of SBRF systems using the displacement-based method to achieve the four-level seismic fortification objectives is presented. A numerical model is established in ABAQUS and elasto-plastic time history analyses are executed. It is shown that the SBRF system designed by the displacement-based seismic design method satisfies the enhanced seismic fortification objectives and performance objectives for resilient structures. © 2019, Editorial Office of Journal of Building Structures. All right reserved.