A comparison of two hysteretic models in predicting the response of a connector under cyclic loading

• Main Author: Lo, Yvonne P. Y.
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/13031

The effect of seismic loading on structures has become a main concern due to the number of collapses or incidents of substantial damage during recent earthquakes. The inelastic behavior of a fastener under seismic loading is a determinant factor of the response of the whole structure; hence, the dynamic behaviour of the fasteners is a main issue for study. The objective of this research is to compare the response of a fastener predicted by a finite-element model (HYST) and the empirical Bouc-Wen-Baber-Noori model (BNW). HYST is a mechanics-based model that uses material properties of the fastener and the characteristics of its surrounding medium to predict the response. BNW is a mathematical model involving 13 parameters. The hysteretic results calculated by this model are obtained by integration of a first order differential equation, given a displacement history A(t). The BNW parameters are calibrated using the response to a particular cyclic displacement history, and then the responses are evaluated for other different histories or seismic excitations. Results are compared to the corresponding HYST outputs. The results show that BNW gives comparable values for relative maximum displacements with respect to the medium, and restoring forces when the response of the structure remains elastic. However, the discrepancies increase with nonlinearities, and the model cannot accurately predict, for example, the residual deformations.