Multi-disciplinary performance comparison for selecting the optimal sustainable design of buildings structures with fluid-viscous dampers

Abstract

Earthquake engineering aims to control the building performance and viscous damping systems are recognized for enhancing the seismic performance; however, performance is often assessed economically over other critical metrics. This study evaluates the seismic building performance with fluid viscous dampers from a sustainability perspective: economy, social factors, and environmental impact. It also identifies the optimal sustainable design considering the damping parameters α and C of the energy dissipation devices. Thus, a set of 28-story buildings equipped with viscous dampers is designed, where the damping properties (i.e., α and C) are varied to produce different structural alternatives. The FEMA P-58 methodology is utilized for evaluating the performance of the case studies. Then, the optimal design is defined as the building associated with the damping properties that minimize the expected annual loss considering repair costs, injuries, and carbon emissions. Results demonstrate that proper damping parameters selection significantly reduces expected annual losses compared to structures without supplemental damping system.