Modified Generalized Maxwell Model for Hysteresis Behavior of Elastomeric Dampers

Abstract

A constitutive model is presented for the hysteretic behavior of elastomeric material, called the modified generalized Maxwell model (MGMM). A new force-displacement relationship that describes the well known generalized Maxwell model (GMM) is also proposed in this study and forms the basis for the MGMM. This relationship can be used regardless of the number of Maxwell elements. The damper was first characterized using terms of the viscoelastic (VE) material, determining its shear storage modulus and loss factor for a range of cyclic tests. This led not only to an understanding of how the main mechanical properties of the damper change when the strain amplitude, frequency, and temperature change but also to a more detailed understanding of how the hysteresis shape of the material changes along the alteration of these parameters. The final model was calibrated using test data obtained from sweep amplitude tests over a range of frequencies and ambient temperatures and was able to accurately predict the dynamic performance of the dampers.