LAUSR

Abstract This paper presents an experimental investigation on buckling-restrained steel bar dampers used at the lower sides of a spine frame. The dampers are mainly composed of round steel bar cores restrained by round steel tubes, and additional components called supporters that provide the lateral support against flexural buckling of the round steel tube. One characteristic of the proposed damper is that its buckling length can be controlled by using supporters. Cyclic loading tests were conducted on 10 scaled specimens to assess the functionality and energy dissipation performance of the proposed damper. The test specimens differed mainly with regard to the number of supporters, number of contraction allowance zones, type of connection to the base beam, and damper length. The performance of the damper was extensively discussed base on the cyclic behavior of the different specimen configurations and the mechanical performance of the different damper components. Furthermore, the supporter connection was assessed via collapse mechanism analysis to determine strength requirements. The test results revealed the optimal configurations, the functionality, and the plastic deformation capacity of the proposed system.