Effect of using Rubber in Base and Joint Connection on Structural Performance of Steel Frame Under Cyclic Loading

Abstract

Abstract The world in general and Iraq in particular are exposed to many earthquakes, which cause damage, destruction and death when it occurs. The poor design and construction of buildings that meet seismic design requirements, as well as, the maintenance that needs a long time and high cost, it has become necessary to develop an alternative method that is simple to install with lower costs in comparison with other methods, such as using the smart connection technology of using rubber-steel bolts in steel structures. This study is divided into two parts. The first part includes a numerical analysis of the previous studies using the Abaqus program for three experimental models; the results show a high degree of convergence between the experimental and numerical programs. The second one includes a study of the behaviour of models with rigid connections for five groups and a group of variables using the finite element method. The first group represents models by using rubber washers of different thicknesses in the beam-column connection under a horizontal cyclic load whereas the second one represents the interaction effect of using rubber in the base and the beam-column connection. The third group represents using rubber with different types and locations at the base and the beam-column connection whereas the second and third groups were tested under a horizontal and inclined cyclic load. The fourth and fifth groups are like the second and third ones in details of using the rubber material respectively but II with a difference in details of the steel frame where one of whose sides is a shear tab connection and it is tested under using the horizontal cyclic load only. The results showed that the use of a rubber washer with a thickness of 3 mm under the heads of the bolts in the beam-column connection improves the performance of the model in terms of load resistance, consumed energy, residual displacement, ductility index, drift ratio and the equivalent viscous damping by about (47.3, 364, 519, 148.2, 148, 221.4) %, respectively as compared to the rigid model having no rubber.