Experimental tests on the cyclic response of common steelwork hysteretic devices

This paper investigates the performance of two conventional steelwork elements which can be employed as dissipative devices in Y-shaped eccentric braces (EB). After the description of such devices, the key results obtained in recent tests carried out at the Laboratory Materials testing and Structures (LMS) of the University of Salerno is reported. Particularly, the results of cyclic tests carried out according to two different experimental protocols are considered to determine the low-cycle fatigue curve, which fully describes their performance under cyclic actions and can be properly employed in seismic design of steel bracings equipped with such devices. Finally, the proposed experimental results will be utilised in the future steps of this research to formulate sound design criteria, duly taking into account the actual cyclic nature of the expected seismic actions. This will be the basis for a wide application of these cost-competitive solutions for realising hysteretic steel devices to be properly adopted in seismic retrofitting of ordinary existing structures.