Finite Element Evaluation Of Energy Dissipating Steel Plate Fuse Links

Abstract

<div>Steel plate devices are widely used for providing energy dissipation in earthquake resistant structures. The cyclic response of these steel plate fuses varies depending on different design factors related to the fuse link geometry or its material property. This research presents a numerical study on the cyclic response of steel plate fuses with butterfly-shaped and straight shear links. Finite element models are first developed and validated against past experimental studies. A sensitivity study using the design-of-experiment method is performed to statistically determine the effects of different design parameters on the cyclic response of steel plate shear links. Seven design factors related to the material or geometry of steel plate fuses are considered as input factors. The cyclic response of fuses is examined in terms of initial stiffness, yield strength, ultimate stiffness, effective damping, maximum strength, and ductility. From the results of the sensitivity analysis, it is shown that the overall cyclic behavior of steel plate fuses is most significantly influenced by the fuse link end-width and thickness while the fuse link length and mid-width are partially influential on some of the cyclic responses. In addition, an optimization study is performed to determine the optimal ranges for the design factors that result in simultaneous response optimization conditions, such as maximized energy dissipation capability and ductility. Predictive equations are also developed and validated for the cyclic response characteristics of steel plate shear links. Based on the confirmation runs, it is believed that these equations can accurately predict the acquired responses for steel plate fuse links.</div>