Response Characteristics of Piping System Supported by Visco-Elastic and Elasto-Plastic Dampers

Improving the reliability of the piping systems can be achieved by eliminating the mechanical snubber and by reducing the response of the piping. In the seismic design of piping system, damping is one of the important parameters to reduce the seismic response. It is reported that the energy dissipation at piping supports contributes to increasing the damping ratio of piping system. Visco-elastic damper (VED) and elasto-plastic damper (EPD) were developed as more reliable, high-damping piping supports. The dynamic characteristics of these dampers were studied by the component test and the full-scale piping model test. Damping effect of VED is independent of the piping response and VED can be modeled as a complex spring in the dynamic analysis. On the other hand, damping ratio of piping system supported by EPD increases with the piping response level. So, these dampers are helpful to increase the damping ratio and to reduce the dynamic response of piping system.