Short Course: Energy dissipation devices for seismic protection of buildings

Objectives

The main objective is to introduce structural engineers to the basic principles of seismic design with passive supplemental energy dissipation. The energy approach to seismic protection is used to explain the fundamental differences between conventional earthquake-resistant design (capacity design) and passive control approach, i.e. seismic isolation or supplemental energy dissipation. While conventional seismic design is targeted to “life-safety” performance level, seismic isolation or supplemental energy dissipation can easily guarantee higher performance level, such as “immediate occupancy”. Seismic isolation filters the input seismic energy while supplemental damping devices dissipate it.

Different passive energy dissipation systems are described, according to the classification of the European Standard on Anti-seismic devices EN 15129:2009, i.e. displacement dependent devices and velocity dependent devices. For each of the anti-seismic device considered, physical behaviour, modeling, experimental investigations and practical implementations are explicated. Both type tests and factory production control tests required by the European Standard, and related CE marking of the devices, are shortly explained. Many examples of buildings using energy dissipation devices are shown, in particular existing buildings originally designed without any seismic input, that have been seismically retrofitted through dampers.

In the last session, two examples of buildings with energy dissipation devices are shown in detail. A new building in Chile, with fluid viscous dampers, and an existing r.c. building retrofitted in Italy with both Buckling-Restrained Axial Dampers-(BRAD^®) and fluid viscous dampers.

Recipients

Engineers and Architects enrolled in their respective professional registers, students * of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Surveyors enrolled in the respective register with proven and verifiable experience in the sector.

(*) = required prerequisites: construction science and technique, statics, architectural composition, technical architecture.

Professional Training Credits

The short course lasts 6 hours in total, divided into 3 days.

Teaching materials

During the short course, the participant will be provided with:

• Course slides;