ABSTRACT
The steel slit dampers that can be integrated to general seismic resistant systems such as special and ordinary moment-resisting frames have been utilized as easily replaceable energy dissipation devices with an intention to protect main structural members (e.g., beam and column) (Karavasilis et al., 2012; Soong & Spencer, 2002; Chan & Albermani, 2008; Kim et al., 2013). Inelastic deformations in the main structural members make it difficult to repair seismic damage, and hence cause to rebuild the building structure (Hu, 2013; Sabelli et al., 2003). Therefore, these devices dissipating energy based on the yielding of standard base steel sections are designed to concentrate significant inelastic deformations under severe earthquake events. Such a design methodology takes advantage of acceptable seismic performance with respect to economy and safety (Hu et al., 2010; Hu et al., 2013; Hu, 2014). In spite of damage control obtained from energy dissipation devices (i.e. steel slit dampers), their permanent deformations still give rise to residual inter-story drifts in the whole moment-resisting frame. The conventional passive control systems with steel energy dissipation devices cannot adequately supply a demand for harmonization between structural and non-structural damage, and thus adding strength and stiffness to the frame structure shall be required for aseismic design in order to reduce storey drifts. Some scientists emphasize that non-structural damages related to residual inter-story drifts are more dangerous than damages related to structural member failure (McCormick et al., 2008; Hu, 2013). In particular, a recent report study highlights that if the frame systems undergo the residual inter-story drift greater than 0.5%, the owners of buildings in Japan had better rebuild the whole structures from an economic point of view rather than repair them (McCormick et al., 2008). For this motivation, this study mainly focuses on the slit damper device with recentering capability so as to considerably decrease permanent deformation in the steel frame structure.
