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Why Choose

Durafuse Frames

DuraFuse Frames® make buildings more resilient and economical. Other brace-free systems have beam damage after severe earthquakes, making them difficult or impossible to repair. DuraFuse Frames have patented technology that prevents beam damage and improves seismic resilience.

More Resilient

Patented fuse-plate technology makes it possible to minimize repair costs and downtime following a damaging earthquake.
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More Economical

Save money by reducing total steel weight, eliminating the need for beam bracing, simplifying fabrication, and simplifying erection.

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Approved by the Experts.

The technology has been reviewed by experts with the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and others.
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“The Durafuse Team has been incredibly helpful from the beginning of the design process all the way through construction.  They have jumped right in at the start of multiple projects, helping us present a more resilient and efficient moment frame system to the various stakeholders, and were always available for questions during design and construction.  Their service has been amazing and they have been a joy to work with.  I look forward to working on many more projects with them in the future.”

– KPFF, San Diego

More Resilient

DuraFuse Frames are more resilient than other moment-frames. During a severe earthquake, steel frames will sway and yield. Other moment-frames sacrifice the beams to dissipate energy and prevent collapse. But sacrificing the beams makes the building difficult or uneconomical to repair after the earthquake. In contrast, DuraFuse Frames concentrate earthquake damage into fuse-plates, protecting the beams and columns. The fuse-plates can be removed and replaced after an earthquake.

Damage Zones

All prequalified seismic frames have zones that are expected to be damaged during a severe earthquake. This is no secret, and the code requires these zones to be marked. Other connections are required to mark the beams because they have been designated to be sacrificed. This makes them difficult or impossible to repair after an earthquake. With DuraFuse Frames, the patented fuse plate prevents damage in the beams and columns.

Proven Resilience

Steel connections are tested in the laboratory before getting building code approval. From testing, you can see the beam damage that occurs with other connections. With DuraFuse Frames, the patented fuse plate prevents beam damage, making buildings more resilient.

DuraFuse Frames are recognized by academics as the most resilient steel frames. As part of the 2018-2022 upgrades for the outdoor shake table at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), a re-usable building (MTB2) was commissioned as an accessory to the table. The MTB2 was tested under dozens of Northridge ground motions, applied in three directions. The patented fuses were successful in preventing beam damage. No other brace-free steel system in the U.S. has been proven with this type of testing.

More Economical

Less Weight.

All brace-free steel frames will have the same stiffness (specified by the code), regardless of the specific connections. DuraFuse Frames achieve that stiffness with minimal amount of plate material at the connection, while others use a tremendous amount of plate material.

DuraFuse Frames put the steel weight where it helps the most. Rather than using bulky inefficient connections, DuraFuse Frames optimizes connections to put plate where it is needed, and optimizes beam and column sizes to obtain a lower overall total weight (beams, columns, and connections).

DuraFuse Frames have similar or lower overall steel weight (beams, columns, and connections) than other brace-free steel frames. Case studies in a peer-reviewed article in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Structural Engineering, showed that DuraFuse Frames were 2.7 to 15.5% lighter than a competitor that advertises its stiffness.

Less Bracing.

Other brace-free frames require regular beam bracing to keep the frame stable as the beams are damaged. DuraFuse Frames do not have that problem, since the beams are protected by the fuses. DuraFuse Frames have been tested without lateral bracing and are prequalified without prescriptive bracing. They only need selected bracing where required for strength. DuraFuse Frames have about 70% fewer beam lateral brace points than other brace-free frames.

Less Fabrication.

As compared with a competitor, DuraFuse Frames have fewer parts in the connections and there are no exotic fabrication techniques (like flaring connection plates so that the beam will fit).

Plates are fillet welded to the column in the shop, and beams are bolted in the field.

“The DuraFuse connection helped us reduce the cost of the structural steel frame while eliminating unsightly lateral beam bracing, which pleased the architect.  The DuraFuse engineers were responsive, creative, and collaborative structural design partners.”

– Bill Andrews, Buehler

Expert Approved

American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)

DuraFuse Frames have been reviewed by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Connection Pre-qualification Review Panel (CPRP). This panel consists of 24 experts from academia and industry. After thorough review, the panel recommended DuraFuse Frames for inclusion in the national standard Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications (ANSI/AISC 358-22).

California Office of Statewide Health and Planning Development (OSHPD)

DuraFuse Frames design guide, details, and calculations have been reviewed by the California Office of Statewide Health and Planning Development (OSHPD). DuraFuse Frames can be submitted for new hospital construction in California.

Building Codes (IBC, CBC, LABC)

Code compliance for DuraFuse Frames is established through IAPMO Uniform Evaluation Services (UES) report number 610. DuraFuse Frames comply with the International Building Code (UBC), the California Building Code (CBC), and the Los Angeles Building Code (LABC).

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

DuraFuse Frames have been featured in academic articles in the Journal of Structural Engineering published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). These articles have been peer-reviewed by experts on steel frame design, and demonstrate that DuraFuse Frames are more resilient than other brace-free steel frames.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the Durafuse Team.  They have demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the issues and needs of our project and they have lent tremendous support to our design effort.  Their feedback has been timely and their support and input has enabled design solutions that meet the demands of the code for a special steel moment frames.  Likewise, their support has enabled a final design meeting the demands of the project budget and the project schedule. ”

– Jerod Johnson, Reaveley Engineers

The Resilient Seismic Solution

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