A novel scheme for the mitigation of the seismic action through the use of viscous dampers: a parametric study

This paper presents the results of an extensive (analytical and numerical) study carried out to investigate the effectiveness, for the mitigation of the seismic effects, of placing viscous dampers so that they connect the corresponding storeys of adjacent structural systems. These structures may be either two adjacent shear frame buildings or two portions of the same building (i.e. the frame structure and a stiff lateral resisting element external or internal to the structure). In this paper a wide series of numerical simulations is carried out with reference to seismic inputs. The results show that this peculiar damper placement is capable of providing damping effects (in terms of reduction of the structural response) which are much larger than those which could be provided by typical interstorey damper placements in the frame structure.