Review of the energy-based design theory: Towards the application to self-centering systems

Self-centering systems exhibit superior performance during earthquake shaking with lower damage and less residual deformations. Although the equivalent static force design procedure is the commonly used one for most structural systems for seismic applications, the cumulative damage and the effective duration of earthquakes cannot be explicitly considered, which has significantly affected the behaviors and post-earthquake performance of self-centering systems. Energy-based design theory (EBDT), which introduces the energy demand as the critical parameter to establish relations with structural damage, has gained attention around the world in recent decades. The EBDT can provide comprehensive considerations for structural responses and damage in design procedures, especially for self-centering systems. However, few researches and actual energy design projects focus on the use of EBDT for self-centering systems. This paper intends to present thorough review of several critical issues in EBDT. Meanwhile, pivotal gaps that need to be further investigated towards the application of EBDT to self-centering systems are identified and discussed in the paper.