Multi‐layered energy absorber frames for tall buildings under high‐speed impact

Abstract

AbstractSummaryBased on the advanced fractional derivative damping theory for vibration of large systems and the flexible surface‐to‐surface advanced contact theory, a new design strategy has been presented to deal with the high‐speed impact of flying objects into tall buildings. Using a multi‐layered frame system with external energy absorber frame and a new individual grid‐stiffened flooring system (IGSF), a new system has been design to resist the initial impact force and the progressive collapse phenomena. The system can also guide the heat waves caused by the explosion using a special frame system. These characteristics of the new design method have been shown graphically using a full documented numerical example, which highlights the efficiency of the new multi‐layered frame system under high‐speed impact. The advanced flexible surface‐to‐surface contact theory is used to model the actual initial impact force and the advanced fractional derivative damping theory is used to obtained the energy absorption characteristics of large‐scale dampers used in the external frame system. The purpose of this paper is to present a new design method, which improves the resulting dynamic responses of a tall building induced by a high‐speed impact of a flying object. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.