Behavior of Bolted and Plated Steel Dampers Used on Steel Cross Members Applied in RCF

ABSTRACT

Steel cross members (SCMs) have been placed between the frame gaps of buildings with insufficient earthquake behavior, and many methods have been developed to strengthen these structures. The application of V‐shaped SCMs into the frame is one of these methods. The biggest problem encountered in the strength of SCMs is buckling in SCMs under the effect of axial load. This buckling in steel elements significantly reduces the contribution of the strengthening application to the reinforced concrete frame (RCF) system. In this experimental study, in strengthening made with SCMs, we aimed to prevent buckling of SCMs under the pressure load. For this purpose, four RCFs with a scale of one‐fourth scale, single span, and single storey, which can reflect the features of existing buildings with insufficient earthquake behavior, have been produced. One RCF is the specimen that we did not strengthen as a reference specimen. Other reference specimen is a specimen with a built‐in support, which is strengthened with SCMs, but no metallic damper is used at the end. The other two specimens were applied at the end of the SCMs with an M5 bolt damper and a steel C plate damper. These specimens were tested under a quasistatic cyclic lateral load while a constant axial load was applied. Because of this study, the metallic dampers formed at the ends of the SCMs made a positive contribution to preventing buckling. It has also been shown that metallic dampers and SCMs increase the initial stiffness values and energy consumption capacities of the specimens.