Preliminary performance assessment of rocking systems with viscous dampers

In recent years, research has heavily focused on the decarbonization of the building sector, promoting a new design paradigm that takes into account eco-efficiency, resilience, safety, robustness, functionality and the impact on the life cycle of buildings. As the field is increasingly shifting towards multi-performance-based and lifecycle-oriented design approaches, rocking systems have proven to be a promising solution for overcoming the limitations of traditional design methods. For example, these systems enable controlled damage localization and improved repairability in the event of earthquakes. In this context, the use of dissipative devices, such as viscous dampers, at the base of rocking systems is investigated. These devices localize damage in replaceable components that do not affect the system’s ability to support gravity loads. The additional damping provided by these devices reduces displacements, accelerations and shear forces along the height of the building. This study investigates the effectiveness of completely replacing hysteretic devices at the wall-foundation interface with viscous dampers. Nonlinear dynamic analyses were performed using the finite element software OpenSees. The results are analyzed in terms of base moment and shear, comparing the response of the system before and after the integration of linear viscous dampers into the rocking wall.