Yielding link, particularly for eccentrically braced frames
AssigneeCast Connex Coproration
InventorsMichael Gray, Juan-Carlos De Oliveira, Constantin Christopolous, Tarana Haque, Kyla Tan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A structural yielding link, particularly for use in an eccentrically braced frame arrangement or in a linked column frame arrangement having a first end having a means for connecting to a face of a first beam and a second end having a means for connecting to a face of a second beam; a first variable cross-section portion and a second variable cross-section portion extending from the first end and from the second end, respectively; and a constant cross-section portion joining the first variable cross-section portion and the second variable cross-section portion.
Claims19
A structural yielding link for use in an eccentrically braced frame structure, the structural yielding link comprising a yielding portion comprising:
- a body portion having a substantially constant exterior cross-section;
- a first variable cross-section portion extending from a first end of the body portion to a first end of the structural yielding link, the first variable cross-section portion being hollow, and increasing in exterior cross-section from the first end of the body portion to the first end of the structural yielding link;
- and a second variable cross-section portion extending from a second end of the body portion to a second end of the structural yielding link, the second variable cross-section portion being hollow, and increasing in exterior cross-section from the second end of the body portion to the second end of the structural yielding link, the body portion and the first and second variable cross-section portions forming a single piece;
- a cross-sectional area of the material forming the structural yielding link being substantially constant along a length of the yielding portion, wherein the cross-sectional area of the material forming the structural yielding link is either maintained substantially constant along the length of the yielding portion by decreasing a thickness of the walls of the first variable cross-section portion and the second variable cross-section portion in the direction from the body portion to the respective first or second end of the structural yielding link, or providing at least one flange at a flexural neutral axis of the structural yielding link along the length of the yielding portion, or both.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.