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Last updated 11 abril 2025

Buckling-restrained brace (BRB) is a dual-function device that improves the seismic resistance and energy-dissipation capacity of structures in earthquake engineering. To achieve the expected performance under severe ground motions, BRB is usually designed to remain elastic under mild earthquakes, leading to the increased seismic forces and insignificant vibration-reduction effect on the structures at this stage. This study extends the concept of adaptive passive-control of structures by proposing a novel frictional-yielding compounded BRB (FBRB). FBRB is fabricated by connecting the BRB steel casing and end plates with the friction dampers (FDs) in such a way that the BRB steel core and FDs undergo compatible deformation. In this way, FD dissipates seismic energy under mild earthquakes, while FD together with the BRB core dissipates energy under severe ground motions, resulting in an efficient self-adaptive vibration-reduction mechanism. The proposed FBRB construction was experimentally validated by carrying out the reversed-cyclic test, and the result indicated reliable connection with stable hysteretic behavior. Subsequently, the FBRB-equipped frame was proposed and studied which adopted FBRB as the energy-dissipative devices. A parametric design method was developed to determine the FBRB parameters with which the maximum elastic drift of the system could be reduced to the code-allowable value. The approach was implemented on a 48-story mega FBRB-equipped steel frame as the case study. The seismic behavior of the FBRB-equipped case structure was compared with that of the BRB-equipped system, and critically evaluated by carrying out the nonlinear time-history analyses. Results revealed that FBRB compensated for the conventional BRB in terms of inadequate energy dissipation under mild earthquakes and, meanwhile, was more efficient than the conventional BRB in reducing the lateral drifts under severe ground motions. The analysis indicated potential application prospect of FBRB in practical engineering.