Corrosion-free, Ultra-lightweight Buckling Restrained Braces

Case ID:
M.DUSP-01
Web Published:
6/2/2015
Description:

 

Corrosion-free, Ultra-lightweight Buckling Restrained Braced

From the Lab of Dr. Peter Dusicka, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

Portland State University is seeking partnerships for research and commercialization for select technologies developed in university laboratories. This corrosion-free, ultra-lightweight buckling restrained brace design is intended for use in the construction of new buildings and is a cost-effective alternative for the seismic retrofitting of older buildings. The technology has been tested at full-scale.

Opportunity

Innovative new product line for seismic impact resistant structure solution providers.

Application/Advantages

Current buckling restrained braces are cumbersome and costly to install in both new construction and seismic retrofitting situations. Furthermore, current buckling restrained braces are prone to corrosion and will loose effectiveness over time. Dr. Dusicka developed a new ultra-lightweight buckling restrained brace with a ductile aluminum core surrounded by a jacket of fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs). The cost-effective design is easy to install without the use of heavy equipment.

Research

The approach incorporates the use of innovative materials in the form of FRPs, which are attractive for the low weight to strength ratio. A pultruded FRP section is introduced along the length of the brace to provide out of plane bucking restraint and is secured to the steel angle with a FRP wrap applied using a wet lay-up process. The benefits of added stiffness of pultruded sections are combined with the in-field ease of application of the wrap to provide the buckling restraint to a brace.

Related Web Links

“Concept of Buckling Restraint of Steel Braces with Fiber Reinforced Polymers”
“Seismic response evaluation of the linked column frame system”
Shaking up Seismic Retrofitting

Innovation & Intellectual Property Contact
Miska Paulorinne
Innovation Associate
PSU Office: 503-725-8336
pmiska@pdx.edu
pdx.edu/research/iip


Patent Information:
For Information, Contact:
Shaun Mcgillis
Portland State University
mcgillis@pdx.edu
Inventors:
Peter Dusicka
Keywords:
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