Seismic Design Spectra for Friction‐Damped Structures

Abstract

A simplified seismic design procedure is proposed for structures equipped with an innovative friction‐damping system. The system has been shown experimentally to perform very well and could represent a major new development in earthquake‐resistant design. This paper first presents an efficient modeling approach for the seismic analysis and design of friction‐damped structures. The hysteretic properties of the friction dampers are derived theoretically and are included in a Friction Damped Braced Frame Analysis Program (FDBFAP), which is adaptable to a microcomputer environment. FDBFAP is then used to perform a parametric study of the optimum slip‐load distribution for the friction dampers. The results of the study lead to the construction of a design slip‐load spectrum for the rapid evaluation of the optimum slip‐load distribution. The spectrum takes into account the properties of the structure and of the ground motion anticipated at the construction site. The availability of this design slip‐load spectrum should lead to a greater acceptance by the engineering profession of this innovative design concept.