Optimal Design of Viscous and Friction Dampers in Symmetric Reinforced Concrete Buildings

Abstract

In this paper a comparison of the seismic performance of three symmetric in plan reinforced concrete (RC) buildings strengthened with viscous or friction dampers are presented. An overview of the optimal design of each type of dampers is described. Three buildings (a four-storey building, a nine-storey building, and a sixteen-storey building) were subjected to seven (real and artificial) seismic recorded accelerograms. Nonlinear dynamic time history analyses were carried out. The effects of each strengthening solution are presented in terms of the maximum horizontal displacement at the top of each building, the maximum inter-story drift and the maximum acceleration at the top of the building. The outcomes of this comparison show that viscous dampers (VDs) provide a significant reduction for mid-rise buildings, while friction dampers (FDs) increase the performance of all structures under seismic action. Further useful results were observed.