Numerical Investigation of Cyclic Behavior of Angled U-shaped Yielding Damper on Steel Frames

Yielding dampers are often selected as a cost-effective solution for improving steel structures compared to other energy dissipation systems. The objective of this research study was to investigate the cyclic behavior of the angled U-shaped yielding damper (AUSYD) on a steel frame using numerical method. The numerical model was first verified using two experimental samples. Next, the influence of the number of dampers on the cyclic behavior of the steel frame was examined. The parametric model outcomes included energy dissipation, elastic stiffness, strength, and equivalent viscous damping ratio (EVDR). Additionally, an analytical equation was proposed for calculating the ultimate strength of the AUSYD, which correlated well with the experimentally obtained results. The study findings revealed that the increase in elastic stiffness and strength of the frame equipped with the AUSYD was nearly equivalent to the sum of the elastic stiffness and strength of the bare frame and its supplementary dampers. Furthermore, the results showed that models with 8 to 12 dampers had comparable energy dissipation and EVDR. Adding 8 dampers to the frame increased the energy dissipation and damping coefficient of the frame by 42% and 67%, respectively.