A Simplified Methodology of European Steel Characterization on Theoretic Structural Application with Buckling Restrained Braces

The objective of this research is to provide simplified equations to fix the steel mechanical parameters when applied to all-steel buckling restrained braces (BRBs) whiting a whole theoretic structural calculation. These equations can be mainly useful in the predesign stage when the data of steel tests are still not available. A revision and search were carried out of available steel values from monotonic and cyclic uniaxial tests by different European steels. Curves of regression were fitted to find the necessary parameters for numeric models of BRBs with typical hysteretic dissipation. A comparison of results from applying three different groups of adopted steel values (nominal, regression or actual, and maximum) is done with a well-known and tested BRB. The high dispersion of results that arise is shown. The regression equations found demonstrate great usefulness. For an initial theoretic calculation, departing from most actual parameters of steel strongly decrease the uncertainty and it allows calculating structures with BRBs in a more realistic way.