Evaluation of yielding shear panel device for passive energy dissipation

The paper describes an experimental investigation of a new earthquake damper, the yielding shear panel device (YSPD), for civil structures. It utilizes energy dissipation through plastic shear deformation of a thin diaphragm steel plate welded inside a square hollow section (SHS). Its performance is verified by nineteen monotonic and cyclic tests. Experiments showed that certain specimens exhibited stable behavior and were capable of dissipating a significant amount of energy. The performance is influenced by the diaphragm plate slenderness and by the in-plane rigidity of the surrounding SHS. Slender plates undergo elastoplastic shear buckling and exhibit stable though slightly pinched hysteresis response. Stocky plates impose high deformation demand on the surrounding SHS that hinders their cyclic performance. The equivalent viscous damping offered by the test specimens, on their own, and the cumulative energy dissipation are quantified. Fabrication, implementation and replacement of the damper proved to be easy and inexpensive. The YSPD offers a potentially viable alternative for seismic retrofitting of existing frame structures.