3D Ladder-Like Building Damper for Buckling-Resistant Shear Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional structural dampers, such as Buckling Restrained Braces (BRB) and Shear Hysteretic Panels (SHP), face challenges with large installation space requirements, limited deformation capacity, and buckling issues, making them unsuitable for large and tall buildings.
Innovation Solution
A structural damper with a spatially structured shear damping part featuring multiple rung-like cross members in different orientations, a U-shaped force introduction mechanism, and a modular design that allows for adjustable cross member levels and orientations to enhance stability and deformation capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional BRB dampers use additional stiffening elements to prevent buckling, then buckling resistance is improved, but the internal damping components become invisible and difficult to assess
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is segmented into an external protective tube and internal damping components (steel plates and springs). The protective tube provides buckling resistance while the internal components remain visible through the transparent or translucent tube wall, allowing assessment of damping element condition without compromising stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal damping components (steel plates, springs) are nested within the protective tube. This nesting allows the protective tube to provide buckling resistance while the internal components maintain their functional integrity and visibility, resolving the contradiction between protection and observability.
2Strength
If SHP dampers use ladder-like flat shear damping elements with cross beams, then damping capacity is improved, but the cross beams easily buckle under load
Solution Approach 1:
The design transitions from flat 2D ladder-like structures to 3D spatial arrangements of steel plates and springs within a protective tube. This dimensional change allows the damping components to achieve high damping capacity through controlled deformation while the protective tube prevents buckling, eliminating the buckling-prone cross beams of traditional SHP dampers.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper combines multiple materials and components: steel plates for shear damping, springs for energy absorption, and a protective tube for structural stability. This composite approach achieves both high damping capacity and buckling resistance that cannot be obtained with single-material ladder structures.
3Strength
If SHD dampers use long thin steel sheets arranged in truss bar configuration, then damping effect is achieved, but a great deal of length is required for sufficient damping
Solution Approach 1:
The design merges multiple damping mechanisms (steel plate shear deformation, spring compression/extension) into a single compact unit. This combination of damping actions in parallel achieves high damping effect in a shortened configuration compared to long steel sheets arranged in truss configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The design changes the geometric parameters of the damping components - using thicker steel plates and coiled springs with optimized dimensions - to achieve high damping capacity in a compact form factor, reducing the length requirement compared to thin steel sheet truss arrangements.
4Strength
If BRB dampers use very large dimensions to achieve necessary damping, then damping capacity is improved, but replacement cost after earthquake damage becomes very costly
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is segmented into a reusable protective tube and replaceable internal damping components (steel plates and springs). After earthquake damage, only the internal components need replacement while the protective tube can be reused, significantly reducing replacement costs compared to replacing entire large-dimension BRB dampers.
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables discarding and recovering of components: the protective tube is recovered and reused, while only the damaged internal damping components (steel plates and springs) are discarded and replaced. This selective replacement strategy reduces material waste and replacement costs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides improved buckling resistance and increased maximum absorbable forces, enabling effective seismic damping in large structures with reduced installation space and enhanced maintenance efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Damping is achieved by introducing a normal force into one of the two longitudinal beams, which is then transmitted in a damped manner to the other longitudinal beam via the cross beams deformed by the shear force. If a pendulum movement occurs, the normal force introduced into the longitudinal beam will alternate between a tensile and a compressive force, which is dissipated via the plastic deformation of the interposed cross beams.
Implementation Method 2
Here, too, a load-deformation curve with a course in the form of a hysteresis loop is established.
Implementation Method 3
The shear damping part has a spatial structure in which at least two further rung-like cross beams extending parallel to one another are arranged in a second orientation deviating from the first orientation.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4b
Figure 5~6b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a building damper (1), having at least one shear-damping part (5) which is of ladder-like design at least in certain regions and which has a three-dimensional structure according to the invention, in which at least two crossmembers (7, 9) are connected in two different orientations to at least two longitudinal members (6, 8), and in which the damping action occurs by shear-force damping in the crossmembers (7, 9).