Shake Table Testing of a Low Damage Steel Building with 2-4 Displacement Dependent (D3) Viscous Damper

Abstract

To improve seismic structural performance, supplemental damping devices can be incorporated to absorb seismic response energy. The viscous fluid damper is a well-known solution. However, while they reduce displacement demand, they can increase overall base shear demand in nonlinear structures as they provide resistive forces in all four quadrants of force-displacement response. In contrast, Direction and Displacement Dependent (D3) viscous fluid dampers offer the opportunity to simultaneously reduce structural displacements and the total base-shear force as they only produce resistive forces in the second and fourth quadrants of a structural hysteresis plot. The research experimentally examines the response of a half-scale, 2-storey moment frame steel structure fitted with a 2-4 configuration D3 viscous fluid damper. The structure is also tested with conventional viscous dampers to establish a baseline response and enable comparison of results. Dynamic experimental tests are used to assesses the base shear, maximum drift and residual deformation under 5 different earthquakes (Northridge, Kobe, Christchurch (CCCC), Christchurch (CHHC), and Bam ground motion). Response metrics including base shear, the maximum structural displacement, and peak structural accelerations are used to quantify performance and to assess the response reductions achieved through the addition of dampers. It is concluded that only the 2-4 device is capable of providing concurrent reductions in all three of these structural response metrics.