ABSTRACT

In recent years some innovative aseismic techniques, based on the concept of reducing the seismic loads acting on the structure, rather than increasing its seismic resistance, were developed. A way to reduce the response of a structure under dynamic excitations is to think in terms of passive-control energydissipation devices with recoverable plastic deformation [1]. This opens the way to the application of smart materials and, in particular, of Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) [2]. Although it is possible to find quite a lot of information about the static behavior of SMA wires [3], until now a few is known about bar properties. The main purpose of the present study is to check the behavior, in both the static and dynamic field, of Ni-Ti bars of the diameter of several millimeters, as those to be used in an actual energy-dissipation device.