Modeling of a viscoelastic damper and its application in structural control

Area of Science:

• Structural Engineering
• Seismic Retrofitting
• Passive Damping Systems

Background:

• Conventional seismic rehabilitation methods are often costly and time-intensive, particularly foundation work.
• Viscoelastic dampers (VEDs) are increasingly utilized in mid- and high-rise buildings for seismic protection.
• There is a need for more economical, lightweight, and easily deployable seismic control devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel viscoelastic passive control system: the rotary rubber braced damper (RRBD).
• To investigate the performance of the RRBD through numerical modeling and experimental testing.
• To compare the effectiveness of the RRBD against traditional seismic bracing systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of a nonlinear finite element model incorporating large deformation and material damage.
• Parametric study of various RRBD sizes under pushover cyclic loading.
• Sinusoidal shaking table tests to assess the system's response management capabilities in steel frames.

Main Results:

• The RRBD exhibited excellent energy absorption and stable hysteresis loops across all tested configurations.
• Shaking table tests confirmed the RRBD's effectiveness in controlling response displacement and acceleration.
• The RRBD demonstrated superior performance in reducing column compression forces compared to chevron bracing (CB).

Conclusions:

• The rotary rubber braced damper (RRBD) is an effective, economical, and lightweight seismic control device.
• The RRBD functions early in lateral displacement, providing protection across all vibration levels.
• The proposed RRBD offers significant advantages over conventional chevron bracing for seismic rehabilitation.