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Design specifications to prevent building collapse when exposed to a seismic event may be effective in preventing building failure; however, after such an event, the structure may be damaged, requiring repair or replacement.  Use of various lateral force-resisting systems, moment-resisting frames, and concentrically braced frames (CBF) have been used to minimize earthquake damage.  SCBF is a special class of CBF designed to maximize/permit large inelastic drifts and is one of the most common types of CBF used in seismically active areas.  SCBF has realized improvements in connection design, restrictions on brace configuration, and more stringent brace slenderness/section compactness criteria; however, despite these advancements, areas for improvement in the design and performance of SCBF still exist.

Investigators have developed a technology based on the concept of buckling permissibility to provide damage-free buckling of bracing members in SCBF during compression loading.  The system allows structural steel members to deform/buckle at designed “friction-type hinges” located within a steel member when the member exceeds its’ critical buckling load during compression without impacting its ability to withstand tension loads.  The integrated friction surface hinge allows the member to rotate after being exposed to a designed compressive load realizing a similar energy dissipation level as obtained from the buckling of bracing members. 

Competitive Advantages

• Application in new building construction and as a replacement for existing SCBF members.
• Provides damage-free buckling during compression while allowing a member to withstand tensile loads.
• Potential application in other sectors; bridge bracing.
• Less structural damage than non-hinged SCBF members.

Opportunity

The global steel production market was valued at $1.27 trillion in 2022 and is expected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2028.  The seismic reinforcement market was valued at $34 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach a value of $40 trillion by 2025.

Rowan University is looking for a partner for further development and commercialization of this technology through a license.  The inventor is available to collaborate with interested companies.