Experimental Campaign of a Low-Cost and Replaceable System for Passive Energy Dissipation in Precast Concrete Structures

Abstract

This research develops a new low-cost energy dissipation system, capable of being implemented in residential structures in developing countries with high seismic activity, in which the current solutions are not economically viable. These residential structures are entirely made of precast concrete elements (foundations, walls, and slabs). A solution is developed that consists of a new connection between a precast foundation and a structural wall, which is capable of dissipating almost all the seismic energy, and therfore protecting the rest of the building from structural damage. To validate the solution, a testing campaign is carried out, including a first set of "pushover" tests on isolated structural walls, a second set of "pushover" tests on structural frames, and a final set of seismic tests on a real-scale three-storey building. For the first and second set of tests, ductility is analyzed in accordance with ACI 374.2R-13, while for the third one, the dynamic response to a reference earthquake is evaluated. The results reveal that the solution developed shows great ductility and no relevant damage is observed in the rest of the building, except in the low-cost energy dissipation system. Once an earthquake has finished, a precast building implemented with this low-cost energy dissipation system is capable of showing a structural performance level of "immediate occupancy" according to ACI 374. 2R-13. between elements, that is, the limitation is not due to the precast element by itself, but due to the connections between them, which are usually less ductile than traditional solutions cast in situ.In these cases, the usual way to address the seismic problem is through the use of seismic isolators, dampers, energy dissipators, etc. However, most of them are very expensive solutions, only suitable for special structural elements (tall buildings or very singular buildings). Therefore, they are not economically viable if massive use is intended in areas with low economic resources [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].Therefore, it is necessary to develop low-cost energy dissipation systems that are capable of being implemented in inexpensive precast concrete buildings without involving an unacceptable increase in the total cost of the building [9][10][11].Another common problem regarding the structural behavior of a building that had been subjected to an earthquake was that it was useless after the seismic event and, therefore, it had to be demolished. Regarding the situation of collapse during an earthquake, although it is a breakthrough, the economic cost for the community is still very high. Consequently, it is highly desirable that low-cost energy dissipation systems prevent damage to the structure, and therefore it can be re-occupied under safe conditions once the seismic event has passed.Research in seismic response of structures, especially if they are made of concrete, requires tests that are usually complex and expensive. On the one hand, the performance of scale tests of concrete structural elements is usually not ...

Editorial for “Recent Advances in the Design of Structures with Passive Energy Dissipation Systems”

“…The performance of some variants and improvements of the classical concept of tuned mass damper is also analyzed in various applications and configurations [6,8,12]. Novel dissipation devices are finally developed and analyzed from an experimental and a numerical point of view [5,7,9]. A brief description of each article is given below.…”

“…Moreover, experimental findings on a small scale prototype demonstrate the ability of the TMDs of suppressing several vibration modes under laboratory conditions. In paper [7], Mena et al develop a new low-cost energy dissipation system for application to precast concrete structures. This solution is particularly appealing for residential structures in developing countries, in which precast footings, precast structural walls, and precast concrete slabs are present.…”

Evaluation of the Seismic Performance of Single-Plate Metallic Slit Dampers Using Experimental and Numerical Data

“…Foti et al conclude that energy dissipators are efficient in reducing earthquake-induced forces [5]. They can also be used for retrofitting or upgrading [6] and can serve as protection against structural damage [7].…”