Direct Displacement-Based Design for Buildings with Hysteretic Dampers, using Best Combinations of Stiffness and Strength Ratios

A direct displacement-based design approach for damage-controlled structures using the best combination of stiffness and strength ratios between the main structure and added hysteretic energy dissipation systems is proposed. Choosing optimal values of the design parameters is an important step toward an efficient structural design; therefore, a parametric study using different combinations of design parameters is performed, from which a simple methodology to calculate a cost-efficiency index based on a cost-benefit analysis is developed. The DDBD methodology is verified and recommendations about adequate combinations of design parameters are given for an 8-story steel building with buckling restrained braces.