Energy dissipater for concentrically braced frames: Brace member with combined properties of metallic structural fuse and friction damper

The main focus of this research is to develop and evaluate a high performance seismic energy dissipater for a concentrically braced frame that can be easily fabricated using common steel grades by a typical steel fabricator.;Experimental program results demonstrate that developed seismic energy dissipater is capable of achieving high ductility and superior, in certain aspects, performance when compared to existing alternatives.;Developmental stage of the research has concluded that brace member with combined properties of metallic structural fuse and friction damper can achieve superior performance while being a cost-effective solution. An experimental program was conducted to evaluate hysteretic response of six configurations of prototype brace member. Physical tests demonstrate that proposed energy dissipater can sustain axial deformation of up to 140.0 mm under incrementally increasing cyclic load. Parametric study was performed using FEA to evaluate and postpone out-of-plane buckling within metallic structural fuse that was observed during the experiment.