Review of novel seismic energy dissipating techniques toward resilient construction

Damage to structures and infrastructure after earthquakes shows the level of their vulnerability and the permanent need for their upgrade for better seismic performance and resilience. In recent years, much improvement has been made regarding various dissipation techniques, which affect the “functionality” performance level once structures are exposed to strong ground motions. Intensified research and developments are ongoing on various devices, from passive, active to semi-active, and hybrid damping mechanisms. Based on the literature, it can be seen that the base isolation systems are mainly utilized in severe earthquake-prone regions, while passive energy dissipating techniques are used in regions with high winds and in moderate seismic zones. Active seismic energy dissipating techniques are reluctantly used in many cases, as severe earthquakes very often cause power failure, which prevents the activation of active and semi-active devices. This chapter gives an overview of the latest developments in this field.