Stability capacity design of shuttle-shaped restrained-buckling braces with uniform cross-section at mid-span.

This paper proposes a shuttle-shaped buckling restraint brace (SS-BRB) with the uniform core and the peripheral restraint system that consists of uniform cross-section tube at its mid span and tapering sections at its two ends. This type of BRB maned as SS-BRB-UCS adopts circular steel tubes in the core and the peripheral restraint system. An isolation system is strategically positioned between the core and the peripheral restraint system to effectively transmit lateral loads. Obviously, this type of the optimizing peripheral restraint system could reduce material utilization with an economic design and beautiful appearance. First, the finite element (FE) model of the SS-BRB-UCS is established, then the elastic buckling performance investigation is carried out to determine the elastic buckling load formula through fitting techniques of numerical results, so as to obtain the formula of the restraint ratio. Additionally, an elastic-plastic stability bearing capacity analysis is conducted for the SS-BRB-UCS to assess its load-bearing capabilities, and the corresponding relationships between stability coefficient (φ) and the restraint ratio (ζ) is established to determine the lower restraint ratio (namely threshold) for static load-bearing capacity BRB design. Finally, the hysteretic responses of SS-BRB-UCSs subjected to axial compressive-tensile cyclic loads are studied numerically, and the corresponding lower limit of restraining ratio of SS-BRB-UCSs is proposed for their energy-dissipation design. Those two lower limits of restraining ratios of the SS-BRB-UCSs obtained in this study provide fundamentals for preliminary static and seismic designs of SS-BRB-UCSs. • The formula for the elastic buckling load of SS-BRB-UCSs is derived and verified to define its restraining ratio. • SS-BRB-UCS with parameter α = 0.3–0.5 exhibits optimal economic design. • Load resistance and hysteretic responses of the SS-BRB-UCSs are investigated by adopting Finite Element Model (FEM). • Two lower limits of restraining ratios corresponding to load-carrying and energy-dissipating types are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]