Buckling-Restrained Braces (BRBs) have emerged as one of the most effective seismic energy dissipation systems for reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures. Unlike conventional steel braces that buckle under compressive loading, BRBs exhibit symmetric yielding in both tension and compression, providing stable hysteresis and superior energy dissipation. This review paper critically synthesizes five peer-reviewed studies covering key aspects of BRB application in RC frames: composite behaviour between RC frames and elastic steel frames, BRB deformation capacity and its influence on collapse performance, performance-based plastic design of dual RC-BRB frame systems, comparative evaluation of BRBs against fluid viscous dampers, and probabilistic seismic performance assessment using incremental dynamic analysis. The review identifies consistent benefits of BRB retrofitting in terms of drift reduction, energy dissipation, and structural safety. Key findings include: accounting for composite stiffness between RC and steel frames can reduce required BRB steel tonnage by up to 20%; a BRB ultimate deformation safety coefficient (α) of 1.2 provides adequate structural redundancy; an optimal story shear ratio of 0.3–0.5 is recommended for dual RC-BRBF systems; and BRBs outperform fluid viscous dampers in stiffness and yield capacity under Indian seismic conditions. The paper concludes with research gaps and future directions for BRB applications in RC structures.

Keywords— Buckling-restrained braces, incremental dynamic analysis, performance-based design, pushover analysis, non-linear time history analysis