Numerical Study of the Circumferential Fuses Used in Steel Repairable Buildings with Seesaw Motion

Abstract

Structural fuses and rocking system are used in order to reduce the building response to earthquakes and damage guidance. In the proposed seesaw motion system, which is similar to the rocking system, the building columns, in top of the foundation, have been removed and a central support and structural fuses are used around the building instead of them. The main purpose of creating this system is that the structural components remain elastic during the earthquake and nonlinear deformations occur in circumferential structural fuses it means that, it is possible to replace damaged fuses after the earthquake and exploit the building in a short time and at a lower cost than the construction cost of the whole building. In this research, the specification of a kind of structural fuse have been investigated and its application in the building with a seesaw system is studied under the influence of the near-field earthquake. After reviewing the fuses, it was observed that, the maximum absolute acceleration of roof and the base shear are significantly reduced in this system; however, the relative drift of floors in some buildings has increased but is lower than the permitted limit.