Use of viscoelastic dampers in reducing wind- and earthquake-induced motion of building structures

Viscoelastic (VE) dampers have been successfully incorporated in a number of tall buildings as a viable energy dissipating system to suppress wind- and earthquake-induced motion of building structures. This type of damper dissipates the building's mechanical energy by converting it into heat. Several factors such as ambient temperature and the loading frequency will affect the performance and hence the effectiveness of the damper system. VE dampers have been able to increase the overall damping of the structure significantly, hence improving the overall performance of dynamically sensitive structures. The effectiveness of VE dampers has been demonstrated both experimentally and analytically by many researchers over the past 25 years. The twin towers of the World Trade Center Buildings in New York City and the Columbia SeaFirst Building in Seattle, Washington, are among the first buildings which benefited from the installation of VE dampers. In seismic applications, the VE dampers can be incorporated either into new construction or as a viable candidate for the retrofit of existing buildings which adds to the versatility of VE dampers.