Analytical study on cyclic behavior of chevron braced frames with shear panel system considering post-yield deformation

An analytical investigation is performed on chevron braced frames using the shear panel system (SPS) and verified based on experimental results. This paper aims to determine key issues influencing the cyclic behavior and energy dissipation capacity of this kind of ductile braced frame. An extended analytical model is presented to evaluate the lateral stiffness of the SPSs at different levels of nonlinear deformation. The expressions developed in this model may be used to select the geometric properties of the SPS based on the desired ductility. Finally, the results obtained from testing on five full-scale braced specimens are used to verify the validity of the proposed model. The experimental specimens showed approximately 30% hysteretic damping ratio and their SPSs reached a plastic rotation of about 0.15 rad.