Scissor-Jack-Damper Energy Dissipation System

Keywords: Energy dissipation.  Viscous dampers.  Interstory drifts.  Velocity.  Braces.  Scissor-jack-damper energy dissipation system.  Toggle-brace-damper system.  Harmonic displacement.  Dynamic excitations.  Seismic response.  Models.  Vertical deformations.  Steel frames.  Lateral joint displacement.

Abstract: This report describes an energy dissipation system configuration that extends the utility of fluid viscous damping devices to structural systems that are characterized by small interstory drifts and velocities. The geometry of the brace and damper assembly is such that the system resembles a jacking mechanism, and thus the name “scissor-jack-damper energy dissipation system” is adopted. The system is a variant of the toggle-brace-damper system, and offers the advantage of a more compact configuration. A theoretical treatment of the scissor-jack-damper system is presented and its effectiveness is demonstrated through testing of a large-scale steel framed model structure under imposed harmonic displacement on the strong floor, as well as dynamic excitations on the earthquake simulator. Experiments demonstrate that despite its small size, the scissor-jack system provides a significant amount of damping while also substantially reducing the seismic response of the tested structure. Comparisons of response-history and simplified analyses with the experimental findings produce results that are consistent. Application of the scissor-jack-damper system in a new building structure in Cyprus is described.