Performance Comparison of Passive Energy Dissipation Systems in Structural Applications – I: Linear Reference System

Abstract

In this paper, an analysis is presented for the performance comparison of representative passive energy dissipation systems which have been developed and implemented in structures in recent years. They include viscous fluid dampers, viscoelastic solid dampers, metallic dampers, friction dampers, tuned mass dampers and tuned liquid dampers. A single-degree-of-freedom linear structural system is used as a standard reference system where ground excitations are simulated either as a white noise or a filtered white noise. The performance criteria are first established, followed by the formulation of computational models for each of the energy dissipators considered. For those exhibiting inherent nonlinear behavior, statistically equivalent linearized models are used for analyzing their modified dynamical properties, such as additional mass, stiffness and damping coefficients due to addition of the energy dissipators to the reference system. Finally, representative numerical models of the above six types of energy dissipators are used to make quantitative comparisons of their performances when added to the reference system by calculating their equivalent additional dynamical properties and their effectiveness in alleviating key response quantities of the system.