Evaluating Correctness of Uniform Force Method Proposed to Determine Force Demands at Gusset Plate Interfaces

Concentrically braced frames (CBFs) are widely used in seismic regions. In CBFs, the brace forces should be transferred to the beam and column through a gusset plate. Researchers have presented several methods to calculate the force demands at the gusset plate interfaces. AISC presented Uniform Force Method (UFM) as the preferred method to determine the force demands at the gusset plate interfaces. This study aims to evaluate the validity and correctness of Uniform Force Method. For this purpose, five one-bay, one-story CBFs with the brace angles of 31, 37, 45, 59, and 72 ͦ were subjected to monotonic loading. The gusset plates of specimens were designed according to Uniform Force Method and then were modeled in ABAQUS. The extracted force demands from ABAQUS at the gusset plate interfaces were compared with those calculated according to Uniform Force Method. The results revealed that Uniform Force Method showed an average percentage error of 26.55 in comparison to ABAQUS results.

Evaluating Correctness of Uniform Force Method Proposed to Determine Force Demands at Gusset Plate Interfaces Keywords:

Gusset plate , Force demands , Gusset plate interfaces , Brace angle.