Experimental study on seismic control of towers in cable-supported bridges by incorporating fluid viscous dampers between sub-towers

Abstract

In this article, the seismic control of towers incorporated with fluid viscous dampers between sub-towers is investigated experimentally. To replace one entire tower, an alternative scheme consisting of four separate sub-towers is first proposed. Fluid viscous dampers are utilized as energy dissipation devices to be installed between sub-towers. Experimental tests are conducted to study the damping force characteristics. Three control strategies with various distributions of these dampers between sub-towers are developed. Then, a series of shaking table tests are carried out to evaluate the control performance of the proposed control strategies. Different earthquake records are adopted as seismic loadings. Experimental results clearly show a remarkable reduction in the towers seismic responses, including the accelerations, relative displacements, and strains. Rather than attaching dampers in concentrated ways, the strategy of distributing dampers uniformly behaves better.

Seismic Reduction Analysis of Super-Long Span Suspension Bridge with Lattice Composite Tower and Damping System: A Case of Study for Qiongzhou Strait Bridge

“…The results indicated that the lattice composite tower markedly decreased the displacement response at the tower top and improved the seismic performance of the super-long-span suspension bridge. These seismic reduction effects of the tower top displacement agreed well with the results in reference [15]. In addition, the control effect of the tower top displacement by viscous damping system could reach over 46%, which is close to the results in reference [31].…”

“…The velocity power index and the viscous coefficient of the viscous damper were 0.9 and 58 N s/mm, respectively. The mechanical properties of the viscous dampers can be found in reference [15]. it satisfied the energy dissipation requirements more effectively.…”

“…The velocity power index and the viscous coefficient of the viscous damper were 0.9 and 58 N s/mm, respectively. The mechanical properties of the viscous dampers can be found in reference [15]. The displacement history along the height of the lattice composite tower used in the test is provided in Figure 17.…”

“…Many types of damper have been installed in bridges to improve the dynamic performance of the bridge when exposed to wind or earthquake excitation [12][13][14]. The towers in long-span bridges are generally slender with large height, and the location and distribution of energy dissipation devices for the towers are important factors to be considered [15]. The traditional seismic response control strategies for long-span bridges mainly focused on the damping connection [16] or damped outriggers between the tower column and bridge deck [17].…”

Comparison between a traditional Colombian Structural Design and the Use of Viscous-Type Energy Damping Systems (2021)

“…Moreover, viscous-type energy dampers have many benefits, such as simple installation, high resistance, versatility, longevity, and manageable design. Part of that versatility lets designers use these devices in different structures (León-Joya, 2016;Zhou et al, 2020), reinforce old buildings (Hesam et al, 2017), combine them with other control seismic systems (Zhen et al, 2020), or even protect adjacent buildings (Bhaskararao and Jangid, 2007;Patel and Jangid, 2013).…”