Application of lead-rubber isolators as shear dampers

The main aim of this study is the demonstrating of the dynamic behavior of a Lead-Rubber isolator as shear damper in the chevron bracing of structures. In this paper numerical analysis and experimental tests have been performed. This device consists of several layers of steel and rubber plates and a cylindrical lead core. The rubber layers are sandwiched between steel layers. A three dimensional finite element model was created for the device first and then the damper was manufactured at Earthquake Engineering Laboratory of Urmia University and installed inside a SDOF steel frame. The hyper-elastic properties were considered for the modeling of rubber layers. The frame was put on the shaking table at Urmia University and its responses under several earthquake excitations were recorded. By validating numerical modeling of the SDOF frame with experimental results the effectiveness of device in mitigation of the responses of multi stories frames, was checked by conducting several nonlinear time history analyses on the structures by using three earthquake excitations. The results were indicating that great reductions in the stories drifts can be achieved by installation of Lead-Rubber isolators in the chevron bracing of structures as shear dampers. Another important advantage of this device is its easy installation inside of many kinds of structures

کلیدواژه ها:

damper ، shear ، rubber ، forces