A framework for multi‐element hybrid simulation of steel braced frames using model updating

Abstract This paper presents a framework for seismic response assessment of steel buckling‐restrained braced frames (BRBFs) by integrating data‐driven techniques into the conventional hybrid simulation to facilitate multi‐element hybrid simulation for structural systems with several potential critical components. The data‐driven brace model incorporates Prandtl‐Ishlinskii hysteresis model into a prediction algorithm to reproduce cyclic nonlinear response of the brace under random earthquake excitations. A two‐storey steel BRBF is selected to illustrate and verify the proposed framework using a set of virtual hybrid simulations. In the BRBF, the first‐storey BRB is virtually simulated, representing the test specimen, while the second‐storey BRB enjoys the data‐driven model trained based on past experimental data. The model parameters are updated in real‐time during hybrid simulation using the data received from the virtual test specimen. The results confirm that the proposed hybrid simulation technique can offer a viable solution to address the shortcomings of conventional seismic hybrid simulation by taking advantage of model updating and multi‐element simulation platforms.