Building Coupling Member With Lock-Up for Dual-Phase Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-rise buildings face excessive vibrations due to low inherent damping properties, leading to occupant discomfort and structural damage from dynamic loads like wind and earthquakes, as existing damping systems are either ineffective or costly and prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
A coupling member with a damping element comprising interdigitated plates and viscoelastic material, coupled with a damage-mitigating mechanism using slots and bolts or fuse members to prevent excessive deformation and structural damage, providing dual-phase damping capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If passive supplemental dampers are used in typical braced configurations, then damping is added to the structure, but they are less effective for high-rise buildings where primary mode of lateral deformation does not cause sufficient axial deformation in bracing elements
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member incorporates a movable connecting element with slots and bolts that allow dynamic adjustment of the damping element's deformation capacity. The bolts can move freely within the slots during normal operation but engage with slot walls when deformation exceeds predetermined limits, providing adaptive response to varying load conditions without requiring active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element's effective deformation range is made variable through the slot geometry and bolt positioning. By designing slots with specific lengths and orientations, the system can accommodate different deformation amplitudes and patterns, making it adaptable to various structural configurations including high-rise buildings where traditional dampers fail.
2Reliability
If vibration absorbers such as Tuned Mass Dampers are used, then deflections and velocities are reduced, but they use valuable real estate space and are expensive to design and build
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential damping function from complex, space-consuming vibration absorbers and concentrates it into a compact coupling member. By removing unnecessary components and focusing on the core energy dissipation mechanism through the damping element and slot-bolt mechanism, the system achieves vibration control without requiring large dedicated spaces or complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling member design allows the damping element to undergo controlled deformation and energy dissipation, then reset for subsequent loading cycles. The slot-bolt mechanism enables the system to recover its initial configuration after each deformation event, providing continuous vibration control without permanent displacement or complex repositioning requirements.
3Reliability
If the damping element is allowed to deform freely under excessive loads, then the full dynamic response is captured, but the damping element suffers damage and loses functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The slot-bolt mechanism and fuse members are pre-configured to engage before the damping element reaches damaging deformation levels. The slots provide predetermined deformation paths with controlled resistance, and the fuse members are designed to yield at specific load thresholds, cushioning the damping element against excessive forces before damage can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting element with slots acts as an intermediary between the external loads and the damping element. It mediates the force transmission by allowing controlled movement through the slots while preventing direct transmission of excessive forces to the damping element, thereby protecting it from damage while still capturing the essential dynamic response.
4Measurement precision
If active systems are used to control vibrations, then precise control is achieved, but they require external power sources and extensive hardware and software control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member is designed as a self-regulating system that automatically adjusts its damping characteristics based on the applied loads. The slot-bolt mechanism and fuse members inherently respond to deformation levels without requiring external sensors, power sources, or control algorithms. The system serves itself by using the mechanical deformation to trigger the appropriate damping response.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex electronic control systems with a purely mechanical solution. The slot-bolt mechanism and fuse members provide automatic control through mechanical interactions alone, eliminating the need for sensors, actuators, power sources, and software control systems while maintaining precise vibration control through carefully designed geometric parameters.
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
Effectively reduces vibrations and prevents structural damage by limiting deformation beyond a predetermined limit, ensuring the damping element remains functional and preventing critical failure under excessive loads.
Implementation Method 1
A coupling member with a damping element comprising interdigitated plates and viscoelastic material
Implementation Method 2
Passive supplemental dampers such as hysteretic, viscous and visco-elastic dampers
Implementation Method 3
a second fuse member connected to a second end of the damping element... sized and dimensioned to undergo deformation when loads reach a predetermined load limit
Data Source
AI summary
A building structure including a plurality of elements extending from a ground surface with at least a first of the elements connected to a second of the elements by a coupling member, the coupling member including a damping element for damping vibrations in the building structure and a means for limiting the deformation of the damping element when the relative movement exceeds a maximum displacement at which damage occurs to the damping element.