ABSTRACT
Friction dampers, a type of energy-dissipating device, are applied in a 14-story school building. To investigate the function of friction dampers, nonlinear seismic analysis is performed on the FE (finite element) model equipped with friction dampers. The analysis is done with seismic input of minor, moderate, and severe earthquakes. The analysis results show that the friction dampers start dissipating energy in minor earthquakes. In moderate and severe earthquakes, the energy dissipated is more. Therefore, the application of friction dampers significantly reduces the seismic response of the building and effectively protects the building structure from severe damage or collapse.
