Hysteresis performance test of double aluminum alloy plate-assembled buckling-restrained braces

In order to study the hysteretic and fatigue performance of the BRB with A5083 core plate, double A5083 core plate-assembled BRB (DAPBRB) was proposed. Three specimens were designed for the pseudo-static test with the opening of the core plate and the gap between the core plate and the restrained plate as the test variables. The hysteresis curves are full and symmetrical, the energy dissipation capacity, plastic deformation capacity and fatigue performance are excellent, and the DAPBRB exhibit obvious strain hardening and cyclic hardening characteristics. The core plate opening can protect the end of the core plate and the DAPBRB can consume enough energy; a 1 mm to 2 mm gap between the core plate and the restrained plate is reasonable. The multi-wave buckling of the core plate is evenly distributed and mainly occurs in the open area. The open core plate avoids the stress concentration at the end of the plate and makes the force more balanced. The proven FEM was used to analyze the DAPBRB. The FE results show that the core plate yields successively from the open to the unopened section and finally reaches the full energy dissipation section; it is also shown that the DAPBRB using LY160 and A5083 as the core material has good and similar energy consumption capacity, but A5083 can effectively reduce the BRB weight and save cost. © 2023 Science Press. All rights reserved.