Development and performance evaluation of an auxetic yield metal damper for enhanced seismic energy dissipation

In this study, a new auxetic yield metal (AYM) damper is introduced for the first time based on the application of the auxetic structure. The performance of the proposed system is investigated via nonlinear finite element analysis by using ABAQUS commercial code. These types of steel dampers are fabricated from mild steel plate with elliptical holes and dissipate energy through the inelastic deformation of the constitutive material. To assess the capability of the proposed AYM damper, a set of nonlinear quasi-static finite element analyzes has been conducted on the damper with various geometric parameters. To ensure that the numerical models accurately predict the responses of AYM dampers, experimental validation techniques were employed. This validation confirms the models' sufficient accuracy in representing the dampers' behavior. According to the results, the proposed AYM damper exhibits a low yield displacement, stable hysteretic loops, a good range of ductility, and a high energy dissipating capacity. The specific energy absorption and ductility of the proposed auxetic damper are 32.5 J/kg and 59, respectively. With its ductile behavior, this damper can dissipate a large amount of earthquake input energy. Furthermore, it is found that the use of proposed auxetic dampers in the steel frame, increases the hardness, strength and ductility of the frame and the energy absorption increased by 210 %.