Testing of a Laterally Stable Eccentrically Braced Frame for Steel Bridge Piers 1.1.. Testing of a Laterally Stable Eccentrically Braced

This paper describes the design and testing of a proof-of-concept eccentrically braced frame specimen that utilizes a hybrid rectangular shear link that is not laterally braced. Equations used for design are given and references for their derivations are provided. The quasi-static cyclic proof-of-concept testing is described and results are reported. Stable and full hysteretic loops were obtained and no signs of flange, web, or lateral torsional buckling were observed. The link was subjected to 0.15 radians of rotation in the final cycle, which is almost twice the maximum rotation allowed in building codes for links with I-shaped cross-sections. Although the final failure mode was fracture of the bottom link flange, the large rotations achieved were well above what would be required in a seismic event, indicating that hybrid rectangular links without lateral bracing of the link can indeed be a viable alternative for applications in steel bridge piers in seismic regions