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75. STRUCTURAL CONTROL USING HYBRID SPRING-DAMPER ISOLATOR WITH INTEGRAL GAPPING FUNCTION

The spring-damper isolators described in this paper were used on the world's largest cable stayed bridge - the Sutong Bridge over China's Yangtze River, completed in 2008. The Sutong Bridge is located north of Shanghai in China's Jiangsu Province at a site where catastrophic earthquakes, typhoons, and ship impact are key design issues. The total length of the bridge is 4.7 miles, with a .67 mile long center span. The tall support towers of this bridge and the long support cables create long period motions along the primary axis of the bridge. The need to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the deck axially means that extensive motion can occur in this direction. The configuration of the bridge permits large axial motion of the suspended deck during earthquakes, typhoons, and synchronized truck/car braking loads such as would occur during a mass vehicular accident on the bridge. During dynamic earthquake loading, the long period of the suspended deck provides inherent isolation, albeit essentially undamped. Analysis indicated that added viscous damping would reduce deck motions substantially. During other events like typhoons and vehicle loading, analysis determined that the most cost-effective solution was to incorporate a snubbing type spring element that would only engage (become active) when the damper was approaching its end of travel in either extension or compression. The spring-dampers on this bridge have only damping forces for roughly 85% of the available displacement from the neutral (center of travel) position. Beyond this travel the spring element engage and a combined response of spring plus damper forces results. Essentially, the spring elements are "gapped" through all but approximately the last 15% of the damper stroke in either direction.

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Case Study

17. SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

This specification covers the set of 186 fluid viscous dampers used on the five buildings of the new San Bernardino County Medical Center located in Colton, California. Three major faults are close to this location. The dampers operate in parallel with elastomeric base isolators, and reduce the required isolator stroke from +/- 48 inches to +/- 22 inches. This specification is very detailed and includes testing requirements.

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White Paper

18. SEISMIC CONTROL OF STRUCTURES WITH DAMPED RESONANT APPENDAGES

This paper shows how Tuned Mass Dampers can provide seismic protection for structures. These dampers consist of a relatively small mass, a spring, and a dashpot attached to a point of maximum vibration and in resonance with the structure to which they are attached. They are widely used to control the response of buildings, bridges, towers, chimneys and other structures to wind forces, machine vibrations and occupant activity. For the most part however, these dampers have been considered ineffective to reduce the seismic response of structures. This paper demonstrates that such devices can be used effectively to control the seismic response of structures. The paper presents a basic mechanism that explains under what conditions such dampers may work effectively under earthquake loads. It also provides recommendations for the selection of the mass, stiffness and damping factors. It includes the results of a series of numerical and experimental tests which verify that properly designed Tuned Mass Dampers effectively and consistently reduce the response of many types of structural systems to various types of earthquake excitations.

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Case Study

19. SEISMIC DAMAGE CONTROL WITH PASSIVE ENERGY DEVICES: A CASE STUDY

This paper presents a theoretical case study of the effectiveness of supplemental passive damping to reduce structural response to seismic excitation. A six story special moment resistant reinforced concrete frame is studied with and without the aid of supplemental dampers. Response predictions are presented for each case. Fluid dampers proved to be a very cost effective way to significantly reduce the seismic response of the building investigated. Preliminary cost estimates indicate that positive damage control can be economically achieved.

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White Paper

20. SEISMIC ISOLATION OF BRIDGES

This unpublished paper by Dr. Michael Constaninou describes the seismic protection of a steel multi-girder highway bridge. Three types of base isolators are included; high damping rubber, lead-rubber and Friction Pendulum. The effect of added viscous damping is also investigated, and is found to greatly enhance the performance of the isolators, even though the dampers required are rather small. This classic paper is hand written by Dr. Constantinou and includes his calculations and his sketches of the bridge, isolation devices and dampers.

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