Mechanical Behaviors of a Buckling-Plate Self-Centering Friction Damper

In order to improve the resilience of structures subjected to strong earthquakes, a buckling-plate self-centering friction damper (BPSCFD) with low post-yielding stiffness is proposed, which consists of a group of post-buckling plates and a self-centering variable friction mechanism. The damper is intended to not only reduce the peak and residual deformation of structures, but also to limit the additional internal force of the structural elements. Through theoretical derivation and finite element simulation, the hysteretic damping and self-centering characteristics of BPSCFDs are studied. In order to examine the seismic performance of the BPSCFDs, the dampers are employed to retrofit a double-columns bridge bent, and the corresponding elastic-plastic time history analysis is conducted. The results show that the force-displacement relationships of BPSCFDs with different parameter combinations are characterized by typical flag-shaped self-centering hysteretic loops and low post-yielding stiffness, and the dampers can effectively reduce the peak and residual deformation of the bridge bent without increasing the peak acceleration and base shear. The research results could supply a guideline for the design and application of the damper.