STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS OF SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS FOR SEISMIC RESILIENCE ENHANCEMENT

Abstract

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are metallic materials with advanced properties enabling them to recover their initial geometry by the application of heat or by unloading which indicates the shape memory and the superelastic effect respectively, through the phase change (austenitic-martensitic). The discovery of their special nature was made in the 1960s. It was noticed that they possessed a shape recovery capability, apart from their good mechanical properties, a characteristic that since then has made SMAs popular in a wide range of industrial fields. As far as engineering applications are concerned, research studies of implementations of the SMAs have increased in recent years. In the present paper a comprehensive and thorough look is attempted to familiarize with their use for structural engineering purposes while particular emphasis is shown to their deployment towards improving buildings’ seismic resilience. In this framework, recent advances in scientific research are summarized and presented aiming to provide an up-to-date scientific knowledge, highlighting thus also the SMA potential in construction sector. © 2022, Jordan University of Science and Technology. All rights reserved.