52. DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF AN IMPROVED FLUID DAMPER CONFIGURATION FOR STRUCTURES HAVING HIGH RIGIDITY
Structures with high rigidity experience relatively small deflections and interstructural velocities under seismic shock. This means that conventional energy dissipation devices may not be feasible or cost effective. An improved damper configuration has been investigated, utilizing a toggle mechanism to magnify internal structural deflections. This provides a more effective way to add damping to a stiff structure. Experimental results were obtained from a 32,000 lb. test structure utilizing two fluid dampers and two toggle brace elements. Test inputs included around eighty individual earthquake transients, varying both in wave form and intensity. The results demonstrated the ability of the toggle mechanism to magnify displacements significantly. The toggle brace damping system appears to be an excellent solution to the addition of supplemental damping devices to rigid structures of all types. Advantages include relatively low damper cost, a simple bracing element design, and low installation cost.