Ductile Fuse for Special Concentrically Braced Frames and Related Methods
OwnerMachel Leigh Morrisoninventor
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a structural improvement in braced frame structures. An exemplary solution involves heat-treating a mid-section region of a steel brace, the steel brace comprising hollow structural sections tubing; after heat-treating the mid-section region, cooling the mid-section region of the steel brace; wherein the heat-treated steel brace has changed mechanical properties due to the heat-treatment, the changed mechanical properties including improved material ductility, work hardening ability, and notch toughness; and coupling the heat-treated steel brace to a gusset plate within a braced building frame structure without need of gusset plate reinforcement.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- heat-treating a mid-section region of a steel brace, the steel brace comprising hollow structural sections tubing;
- after heat-treating the mid-section region, cooling the mid-section region of the steel brace causing the heat-treated steel brace to change mechanical properties due to the heat-treatment, the changed mechanical properties including improved material ductility, work hardening ability, and notch toughness;
- and
- coupling the heat-treated steel brace to a gusset plate within a braced building frame structure without need of gusset plate reinforcement.
The method of claim 5, wherein the steel brace is heat-treated at a temperature that relieves residual stresses from prior cold work on the steel brace.
A braced frame structure comprising:
- a heat-treated steel brace having a mid-section region of the steel brace with changed mechanical properties as compared to outer regions of the steel brace, the changed mechanical properties including improved material ductility, work hardening ability, and notch toughness;
- and
- a gusset plate coupled to the heat-treated steel brace without need of gusset plate reinforcement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.