A proposed approach for Pin-Fuse connections strengthened with pre-tensioned cables

A Pin-Fuse connection dissipates energy through a friction-slip mechanism during powerful earthquakes. PinFuse connections are an innovative system that can be replaced after earthquakes and can sustain seismic energy with less harm to beams and columns. Herein, the monotonic response of the Pin-Fuse connection system strengthened by pre-tensioned cables is investigated. The strength, force-displacement diagram, and momentrotation curve of the connection have been examined with various friction coefficients of 0, 0.6, and 0.9 together with various pre-tensioned cable forces. The general-purpose finite element program ABAQUS has been utilized to model the behavior of Pin-Fuse connections. The available test is used to validate the ABAQUS model. The result shows that in the systems with a friction effect, the presence of the pre-tensioned cables reduces the beam's deflection and increases the tolerable bending moment of the system. The more the value of the pretensioned force, the more the system's bearing capacity.