Background: Yielding steel dampers are widely used to enhance the energy dissipation capacity of steel structures; however, significant residual deformations after earthquakes may impair post-earthquake functionality. Owing to their self-centering capability, Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) offer an effective solution to this limitation. This study aims to investigate the influence of incorporating SMAs into steel plate dampers on the seismic performance, energy dissipation capacity, and residual deformation of concentrically braced steel frames.
Methods: Eleven finite element models, including one conventional reference model and ten SMA-equipped models with different SMA lengths, cross-sectional areas, and stiffness values, were developed in ABAQUS. Cyclic loading analyses were performed to evaluate and compare ultimate strength, energy dissipation capacity, ductility, equivalent viscous damping ratio, and residual displacement.
Results: The results indicate that incorporating SMAs considerably improves the seismic performance of the system. Compared with the reference model, the ultimate strength and energy dissipation capacity increased by up to 122.7% and 81.9%, respectively, while the residual displacement decreased by as much as 26.1%. In addition, the hysteretic response gradually evolved toward a flag-shaped behavior, demonstrating enhanced self-centering capability. The results also revealed that the appropriate selection of SMA length and stiffness provides an effective balance between energy dissipation and residual deformation reduction.
Conclusion: Integrating Shape Memory Alloys with yielding steel plate dampers significantly enhances the seismic behavior of concentrically braced steel frames by simultaneously increasing strength and energy dissipation while reducing permanent deformations. Therefore, this system can be considered an efficient solution for improving seismic resilience and post-earthquake functionality of steel structures.