Experimental study on seismic performance of precast concrete frame with viscous damper

Abstract

Viscous dampers are widely used in reinforced concrete (RC) structures due to their effective energy dissipation under seismic loading. This study investigates the seismic performance of three single-story, single-bay RC frames: a precast concrete (PC) frame with a viscous damper, a cast-in-place (CIP) frame with a viscous damper, and a PC frame without a damper. A sinusoidal steady-state excitation test was conducted to evaluate structural behavior under varying frequencies. The experimental analysis covered failure modes, hysteresis response, displacement ductility, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation capacity, and equivalent viscous damping. The results show that adding a viscous damper significantly improved lateral resistance, initial stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity, while slightly reducing displacement ductility. The PC frame with a damper showed seismic behavior similar to the CIP frame, indicating that dampers can effectively compensate for construction-related discontinuities in precast systems. The calculated-to-experimental strength ratio ranged from 0.57 to 0.62, highlighting the conservative nature of code-based predictions. These findings support the application of viscous dampers in PC frames and provide valuable experimental data for enhancing seismic resilience in building design.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

precast concrete frame / viscous damper / seismic behavior / energy dissipation / failure mode

References

[1] Alothman A, Mangalathu S, Al-Mosawe A, Alam M M, Allawi A. The influence of earthquake characteristics on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete buildings in Australia with varying heights.Journal of Building Engineering, 2023, 67: 105957

[2] Zhai Z, Liu Y, Ma Y, Zhang M, Zhou F. Seismic performance assessment of metal-friction hybrid damper linked steel frame considering extremely rare earthquakes.Journal of Building Engineering, 2024, 84: 108638

[3] Benavent-Climent A, Morillas L, Escolano-Margarit D. Seismic performance and damage evaluation of a reinforced concrete frame with hysteretic dampers through shake-table tests.Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 2014, 43(15): 2399–2417

[4] Webster A, Semke W. Frequency-dependent viscoelastic structural elements for passive broad-band vibration control.Journal of Vibration and Control, 2004, 10(6): 881–895

[5] Tusset A M, Balthazar J M, Felix J L P. On elimination of chaotic behavior in a non-ideal portal frame structural system, using both passive and active controls.Journal of Vibration and Control, 2013, 19(6): 803–813

[6] Younespour A, Ghaffarzadeh H. Structural active vibration control using active mass damper by block pulse functions.Journal of Vibration and Control, 2015, 21(14): 2787–2795

[7] Braghin F, Cinquemani S, Resta F. A new approach to the synthesis of modal control laws in active structural vibration control.Journal of Vibration and Control, 2013, 19(2): 163–182

[8] Khiavi A M, Mirzaei M, Hajimohammadi S. A new optimal control law for the semi-active suspension system considering the nonlinear magneto-rheological damper model.Journal of Vibration and Control, 2014, 20(14): 2221–2233

[9] Abdel-Rohman M, John M J. Control of wind-induced nonlinear oscillations in suspension bridges using multiple semi-active tuned mass dampers.Journal of Vibration and Control, 2006, 12(9): 1011–1046

[10] Wang C M, Yan N, Balendra T. Control on dynamic structural response using active-passive composite-tuned mass dampers.Journal of Vibration and Control, 1999, 5(3): 475–489

[11] Hiramoto K, Grigoriadis K M. Active/semi-active hybrid control for motion and vibration control of mechanical and structural systems.Journal of Vibration and Control, 2016, 22(11): 2704–2718

[12] Symans M D, Charney F A, Whittaker A S, Constantinou M C, Kircher C A, Johnson M W, McNamara R J. Energy dissipation systems for seismic applications: Current practice and recent developments.Journal of Structural Engineering, 2008, 134(1): 3–21

[13] Saaed T E, Nikolakopoulos G, Jonasson J E, Hedlund H. A state-of-the-art review of structural control systems.Journal of Vibration and Control, 2015, 21(5): 919–937

[14] Housner G, Bergman L A, Caughey T K, Chassiakos A G, Claus R O, Masri S F, Skelton R E, Soong T T, Spencer B F, Yao J T. Structural control: Past, present, and future.Journal of Engineering Mechanics, 1997, 123(9): 897–971

[15] Spencer B F J, Nagarajaiah S. State of the art of structural control.Journal of Structural Engineering, 2003, 129(7): 845–856

[16] Wong K K. Seismic energy analysis of structures with nonlinear fluid viscous dampers—Algorithm and numerical verification.Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings, 2011, 20(4): 482–496

[17] Lee D, Taylor D P. Viscous damper development and future trends.Structural Design of Tall Buildings, 2001, 10(5): 311–320

[18] Constantinou M C, Symans M D. Experimental study of seismic response of buildings with supplemental fluid dampers.Structural Design of Tall Buildings, 1993, 2(2): 93–132

[19] ReinhornA MLiCConstantinouM C. Experimental and analytical investigation of seismic retrofit of structures with supplemental damping: Part.1 Fluid viscous damping devices. Technical Report NCEER, 1995: 1995

[20] Lu X, Zhou Y, Yan F. Shaking table test and numerical analysis of RC frames with viscous wall dampers.Journal of Structural Engineering, 2008, 134(1): 64–76

[21] Hwang J S, Tsai C H, Wang S J, Huang Y N. Experimental study of RC building structures with supplemental viscous dampers and lightly reinforced walls.Engineering Structures, 2006, 28(13): 1816–1824

[22] Narkhede D I, Sinha R. Behavior of nonlinear fluid viscous dampers for control of shock vibrations.Journal of Sound and Vibration, 2014, 333(1): 80–98

[23] Miyamoto H K, Gilani A S, Wada A, Ariyaratana C. Limit states and failure mechanisms of viscous dampers and the implications for large earthquakes.Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 2010, 39(11): 1279–1297

[24] Naeem A, Kim J. Seismic performance evaluation of a spring viscous damper cable system.Engineering Structures, 2018, 176: 455–467

[25] Zhou Y, Lu X, Weng D, Zhang R. A practical design method for reinforced concrete structures with viscous dampers.Engineering Structures, 2012, 39: 187–198

[26] Javanbakht M, Cheng S, Ghrib F. Refined damper design formula for a cable equipped with a positive or negative stiffness damper.Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 2018, 25(10): e2236

[27] Pollini N, Lavan O, Amir O. Optimization-based minimum-cost seismic retrofitting of hysteretic frames with nonlinear fluid viscous dampers.Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 2018, 47(15): 2985–3005

[28] de Domenico D, Ricciardi G. Earthquake protection of structures with nonlinear viscous dampers optimized through an energy-based stochastic approach.Engineering Structures, 2019, 179: 523–539

[29] Su C, Li B, Chen T, Dai X. Stochastic optimal design of nonlinear viscous dampers for large-scale structures subjected to non-stationary seismic excitations based on dimension-reduced explicit method.Engineering Structures, 2018, 175: 217–230

[30] BachmannHSteinleA. Precast Concrete Structures. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2011

[31] HartleyABlagdenA. Current Practices and Future Potential in Modern Methods of Construction. Banbury: Waste & Resources Action Programme, 2007

[32] Precast/PrestressedConcrete Institute. PCI Design Handbook: Precast and Prestressed Concrete. Chicago, IL: PCI, 1992

[33] Yee A A. Structural and economic benefits of precast/prestressed concrete construction.PCI Journal, 2001, 46(4): 34–42

[34] Kurama Y C, Sritharan S, Fleischman R B, Restrepo J I, Henry R S, Cleland N M, Ghosh S K, Bonelli P. Seismic-resistant precast concrete structures: State of the art.Journal of Structural Engineering, 2018, 144(4): 03118001

[35] GB50010-2010. Code for Design of Concrete Structures. Beijing: Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China, 2010 (in Chinese)

[36] GB50011-2010. Code for Seismic Design of Buildings. Beijing: Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China, 2010 (in Chinese)

[37] JGJ1-2014. Technical Specification for Precast Concrete Structures. Beijing: Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China, 2014 (in Chinese)

[38] GB/T50081-2002. Standard for Test Method of Mechanical Properties on Ordinary Concrete. Beijing: Standards Press of China, 2002 (in Chinese)

[39] GB/T228.1-2010. Metallic Materials—Tensile Testing—Part 1: Method of Test at Room Temperature. Beijing: Standards Press of China, 2010 (in Chinese)

[40] JG/T408-2019. Cementitious Grout for Sleeve of Rebar Splicing. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press, 2019 (in Chinese)

[41] JGJ/T101-2015. Specification for Seismic Test of Buildings. Beijing: Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China, 2015 (in Chinese)

[42] ACI374.1-05. Acceptance Criteria for Moment Frames Based on Structural Testing and Commentary. Farmington Hills, MI: ACI, 2005

[43] Park R. Evaluation of ductility of structures and structural assemblages from laboratory testing.Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, 1989, 22(3): 155–166

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press