Mechanical properties and displacement capacity of welded-plate flexural yielding dampers

2026-01-01
Dursun, Süleyman Eren
Topkaya, Cem
BOZKURT, MEHMET BAKIR
Replaceable hysteretic steel dampers can be installed at the ends of diagonal braces to provide passive energy dissipation in frame-type structures. These dampers must satisfy both strength and displacement requirements. Previous studies have primarily focused on small-scale component testing, with limited investigation into the performance of large-scale dampers, particularly through sub-assemblage testing. This paper presents the findings of a combined experimental and numerical study on the mechanical properties and displacement capacity of welded-plate flexural yielding dampers. The experimental program was carried out in two phases: the first involved component testing of five specimens, while the second involved sub-assemblage testing of two specimens. Key variables included the number of yielding plates, plate length, plate thickness, and steel grade. Results from the first phase demonstrated that welded-plate flexural yielding dampers can achieve yield and ultimate resistances of 626 kN and 891 kN, respectively, with deformation capacities exceeding 40 mm. In the second phase, sub-assemblage tests showed that braces equipped with welded-plate flexural yielding dampers could accommodate story drifts of 2.63 % with single dampers and 5.5 % with dual dampers. Finite element analysis was used to simulate the behavior of the specimens and to develop a failure criterion for damper design. An expression was developed to calculate displacement capacity based on geometric variables. Both experimental and numerical results confirm the suitability of welded-plate flexural yielding dampers for seismic applications, offering a reliable and efficient energy dissipation mechanism for braced frame structures.
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTIONAL STEEL RESEARCH
Citation Formats
S. E. Dursun, C. Topkaya, and M. B. BOZKURT, “Mechanical properties and displacement capacity of welded-plate flexural yielding dampers,” JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTIONAL STEEL RESEARCH, vol. 236, pp. 0–0, 2026, Accessed: 00, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/11511/115761.