ABSTRACT:In this paper, the effectiveness of seismic performance upgrading is studied by adoption of damping devices made of shape memory alloys (SMAs). An axial-type SMA damper is constructed and modeled on the basis of a modified multi-linear one dimensional constitutive model of SMAs. Time history analyses are carried out on typical steel frames with SMA damping devices. Performance parameters for seismic performance upgrading are investigated in consideration of four influence factors, i.e., strength ratio, martensite fraction, length ratio, and ground motion. Dynamic analyses of bare frames and frames with equivalent BRB dampers are also conducted for comparisons. Numerical investigations show that excellent re-centering ability and energy dissipation can be afforded by installing SMA damping devices in structures.