Experiments on crescent shaped braces

Different design strategies, within the Performance Based Design framework, have been proposed through the years in order to design a structure of high seismic performances, including seismic isolation, viscous dampers and hysteretic dampers. A new lateral-resisting device, referred to as Crescent Shaped Brace (CSB), has been recently proposed to be used for the story isolation of multi-story frame structures. The main property of the CSB is that its lateral stiffness is uncoupled from its yield strength so that the practical designer may choose them independently, unlike conventional diagonal braces whose lateral stiffness is directly proportional to the yield strength. Past studies were devoted to the development of analytical formula for the design of such devices and to the study (through numerical simulations) of their non-linear response. In the present paper, the main results of experimental tests conducted on scaled CSB specimens (monotonic tests, cyclic tests, pseudo-static tests) are presented in order to assess the seismic behavior of such devices. The results of the experimental tests are compatible with the analytical predictions.