Energy-based Design Method for Passive Energy Dissipative Bracing Systems

Abstract In this study an energy-based method for the design of passive Energy Dissipative Bracing (EDB) systems is presented, as a retrofit technique for existing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. A comprehensive literature overview concerning the design of hysteretic bracing systems based on various design philosophies, such as force-, displacement- or energy-based, is provided. The efficiency of the proposed method is validated by comparing the proposed methodology with two design procedures selected in the literature, applied to three RC frames. The results showed that the proposed method is more effective in avoiding the damage concentration at a single story and in distributing the additional strength provided by the EDBs proportionally to the hysteretic energy demand along the structure height. The validity of each procedure is compared based on non-linear static and non-linear dynamic analyses.