Local buckling restraint conditions for core plate in Buckling Restrained Braces

Abstract

Buckling Restrained Braces (BRBs) are commonly used as ductile bracing elements in seismic lateral resistance systems. A key limit state governing BRB behavior is overall flexural buckling. However, when the wall thickness of the restrainer is relatively small compared to the core plates section, the restraint conditions against local buckling of the core plate about its strong axis can be critical for the stability and strength of the BRB. In this study, cyclically-loaded experiments and numerical analyses were carried out using various tube restrainer configurations, and the local buckling restraint conditions are discussed and proposed using these results.