2011 Galleries

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Galleries // 2011 Spark:Pro // Pin Fuse Joint

Pin Fuse Joint

Winner - Silver

Competition: Spark:Pro
Designer: Mark Sarkisian & SOM Design Team
Design Type: Structural Engineering
Company / Organization / School: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

Purpose: The Pin-Fuse Joint® allows building movement by maintaining structural elasticity. During moderate earthquakes the joint remains fixed, but during a severe earthquake, the joints rotate. This allows the building to be flexible, dissipating energy and reducing potential damage. After the earthquake, the Pin-Fuse Joints return to their original positions. Composed of standard structural steel building materials, the joint can be employed in buildings made of structural steel, reinforced concrete, or both.