Analytical Model for Shear-Link Behavior

During severe earthquakes, the inelastic action of the eccentrically braced frame (EBF) system is intended to be confined to the eccentric shear- and moment-link elements. To perform reliable inelastic static and dynamic analysis of EBFs, which rely on shear or moment yielding of the link element, accurate modeling of behavior of these elements is essential. Available computer codes lack such a specialized shear-link model in their element library. In this study, an analytical model that represents the behavior of shear links is proposed. The model parameters are established based on observations from several experiments involving shear links. Comparison of the model predictions with available test observations and analytical results established the accuracy and wide applicability of the model for the cases of cyclic and earthquake loadings. The proposed model can be effectively used to perform inelastic static and dynamic analyses of EBFs.