Passive energy dissipation (PED) devices have been implemented to enhance structural
performance by reducing seismically induced structural damage. In this paper metallic dampers are
defined to be structural fuses (SF) when they are designed such that all damage is concentrated on
the PED devices, allowing the primary structure to remain elastic. Following a damaging
earthquake, only the dampers would need to be replaced, making repair works easier and more
expedient. Furthermore, SF introduce self-centering capabilities to the structure in that, once the
ductile fuse devices have been removed, the elastic structure would return to its original position. A
comprehensive parametric study is conducted leading to the formulation of the SF concept, and
allowing to identify the possible combinations of key parameters essential to ensure adequate
seismic performance for SF systems. Nonlinear time history analyses are conducted for several
combinations of parameters, in order to cover the range of feasible designs
