Numerical and experimental study of the nested-eccentric-cylindrical shells damper

In this study, a new steel cylindrical shell configuration of the dissipative energy device is proposed to improve lateral ductility and to reduce the damage of the structures against seismic forces. Four nested-eccentric- cylindrical shells are used to constructing this device; therefore, this proposed device is named nested-eccentric-cylindrical shells damper (NECSD). The particular configuration of the nested-eccentric-cylindrical shells is applied to promote the mechanical characteristics, stability, and overall performance of the damper in cyclic loads. Shell-type components are performed as a combination of series and parallel non-linear springs into the in-plan plastic deformation. Numerical analysis with respect to dimensional variables are used to calculate the mechanical characteristics of the NECSD, and full-scale testing is conducted for verifying the numerical results. The parametric study shows the NECSD with thin shells were more flexible, while devices with thick shells were more capacious. The results from numerical and experimental studies indicate that the NECSD has a stable behavior in hysteretic loops with highly ductile performance, and can provide appropriate dissipated energy under cyclic loads.