Patent ID: 8763320
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: E04B,E04C,E04H

Abstract:
1. A buckling-restrained brace adapted to be mounted to a building, said buckling-restrained brace comprising: an elongate core unit including a main body having opposite first and second coupling end sections adapted to connect with the building, and an energy dissipating section connected between said first and second coupling end sections; a restraining unit including two steel plates clamping said energy dissipating section of said main body of said core unit therebetween, and at least one channel member connected to said steel plates; a middle sleeve disposed around said energy dissipating section of said main body and having an end welded to said first coupling end section of said main body; an outer sleeve disposed around said energy dissipating section of said main body, said restraining unit, and said middle sleeve, said outer sleeve having two ends aligned respectively with two ends of said middle sleeve, one of said ends of said outer sleeve being welded to said second coupling end section of said main body; first and second inner plates adjacent respectively to two ends of said restraining unit such that said restraining unit is disposed between said first and second inner plates; first and second outer plates adjacent respectively to two ends of each of said middle and outer sleeves such that said middle and outer sleeves are disposed between said first and second outer plates; at least one first tensioning element extending along a longitudinal direction of said core unit and fastened to said first inner plate at one end thereof, and to said second outer plate at the other end thereof; and at least one second tensioning element extending along the longitudinal direction of said core unit and fastened to said first outer plate at one end thereof, and to said second inner plate at the other end thereof; wherein, when applied to said buckling-restrained brace, an external force is transmitted along one of two paths, and is transmitted out of said apparatus through said second coupling end section of said core unit, one of the paths including said first coupling end section of said core unit, said second outer plate, said first inner plate, said second inner plate, and said first outer plate, the other of the paths including said first coupling end section of said core unit, said first outer plate, said second inner plate, said first inner plate, and said second outer plate, transmission of the external force along either the first path or the second path resulting in elongation of each of said first and second tensioning elements by a distance δ, so that said middle and outer sleeves are moved relative to each other by a distance 2δ to change the length of said energy dissipating section of said main body by a distance 2δ, such that buckling of said core unit can be prevented by said restraining unit.