ABSTRACT
Viscous dampers were originally developed as shock absorbers for the defense and aerospace industries. In recent years, they have been used extensively for seismic application for both new and retrofit construction. During seismic events, the devices become active and the seismic input energy is used to heat the fluid and is thusly dissipated. Subsequent to installation, the dampers require minimal maintenance. They have been shown to possess stable and dependable properties for design earthquakes. Figure 1 depicts
the application of dampers to a new building in California (Miyamoto and Gilani, 2008).
