ABSTRACT
In recent years, the seismic design of buildings has undergone significant changes due to increasing demand for optimization of the structural systems of buildings to minimize the level of damage, economic loss, and structural repair costs following an earthquake. Buckling-Restrained Braces (BRBs) add more seismic energy dissipation capacity to conventional braced-frame systems. A typical BRB is made up of a yielding steel core, providing axial resistance which is confined by a concrete- or mortar-filled steel casing, providing flexural as well as buckling resistance. In this paper a parametric study of five- and ten-storied reinforced concrete buildings incorporating BRBs at various locations and in different configurations is presented. From the comparison of analysis results in terms of time period, story shear, story displacement and story drift, a more suitable configuration and location for BRBs are suggested for a multi-storied frame structure.
