This paper presents the results of a series of full-scale brace tests in which four moderately slender, compact, cold-formed CHS brace assemblies were cyclically loaded to failure. Each of the brace assemblies employed a different size of CHS and cast steel connector, with the latter, in turn, bolted to a typical corner gusset plate. Each of the tests followed the buckling restrained brace protocol specified in the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Seismic Provisions. All of the braces survived several cycles beyond the protocol and failed in tension at the center of the brace. In each test, the cast steel connectors showed no sign of yielding, illustrating that the use of a cast steel connector is a viable means of connecting CHS brace members for seismic applications.
