Design of a Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame Utilizing 2005 Seismic Standards

Abstract

The paper illustrates a design procedure for Buckling-Restrained Braced Frames using the current draft versions of the 2005 ASCE 7 and AISC 341 standards. The system is new to this cycle of codes, and presents many performance and design advantages over conventional braced frames. The illustration of a design procedure is intended to aid engineers in understanding the requirements of the provisions as they pertain to buckling-restrained braced frames, and to convey the intended performance of the system under severe seismic loading. The procedure illustrated optimizes the design, and is consistent with the required capacity-design methodology without requiring numerous calculations to supplement an elastic analysis. A five-story building in San Francisco is designed to meet the provisions, and the final design information is described.