Dissipative bracing
HBF Steel
The hysteretic dissipative bracing HBF are often used for seismic adaptation and improvement interventions of existing buildings, applying passive protection to the building that leads to an increase in strength and stiffness of the structure. The intervention consists in inserting, within the structural mesh of bracing ( metal rods ), in one of the two end plates a device with a hysteretic response, with dissipative functions. The intervention is generally not very invasive since the elements are inserted inside the frame links. The elements can be left exposed, or covered with panels. The replacement downstream of a seismic event is easy and cheap , in fact it will be enough to leave a niche in the wall and only replace the plasticized dissipative element, without further interventions on the structure or on the bracing rod.
The device consists of a single or a pair of joint cover plates connected by friction of the end of the bracing rod to the connection structure to the node. Said plates are suitably designed and manufactured to concentrate the inelastic deformations in specific areas, dissipating energy.
