Design of Steel Triangular Plate Energy Absorbers for Seismic-Resistant Construction

Building structures must be constructed to dissipate a large amount of seismic energy in order to achieve economical earthquake-resistant constructions. In this paper, recent research findings on the effectiveness of using steel triangular plates welded as the added damping and stiffness (ADAS) device for earthquake-resistant structures are presented. Experimental results indicate that a properly welded steel triangular-plate added damping and stiffness device (TADAS) can sustain a large number of yielding reversals without any stiffness or strength degradation. The effects of the ratio of the TADAS element stiffness to that of the bare frame, and the ratio of the entire frame yield strength to that associated with the TADAS element on the seismic response of the added damping and stiffness structures are discussed. Based on these studies, a design methodology and an example are developed for the application of the TADAS device in earthquake-resistant constructions.