NEESR-SG: Performance-Based Design and Real-time Large-scale Testing to Enable Implementation of Advanced Damping Systems

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This award is an outcome of the NSF 08-519 program solicitation George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Research (NEESR) competition and includes Purdue University (lead institution), Lehigh University (subaward), the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana (subaward), City University of New York City College (subaward), and the University of Connecticut (subaward). This project will utilize the NEES equipment site at Lehigh University. Advanced damping systems have demonstrated great promise for seismic hazard mitigation. The adaptability of structures using these versatile devices to severe loading conditions is expected to facilitate major advances in the ability to achieve performance-based design of structures. However, such innovative systems have been slow to be used in practice due to a lack of appropriate design procedures and adequate testing methods to validate these systems. Effective implementation of this technology will require establishing and validating performance-based design methodologies that best exploit their unique damping capabilities. Large-scale testing for model validation and performance assessment can best be achieved through pseudo dynamic (PSD) test methods on large scale structures. However, when these dampers are integrated into a structural system, they exhibit several types of complex behaviors that cannot adequately be reproduced at less than real-time. Recently developed real-time hybrid testing methods allow greater abilities regarding the types of structures and systems that can be tested. These methods need to be validated for complex structural systems. These are compelling reasons for conducting an integrated study focusing on large-scale testing of structures equipped with such damping devices to: i) demonstrate a typical performance-based design methodology for a structural system employing advanced damping devices; ii) validate an appropriate large-scale testing technique for validation and acceptance of new damping systems; iii) validate novel real-time PSD testing methodologies for large-scale structural systems in this class; and iv) educate practitioners and students on these technologies, enabling implementation of advanced damping systems in the United States. Magnetorheological fluid devices, a particularly promising damping system, will be used in the experiments to leverage prior funding. With proper use, these devices can also mimic a wide variety of passive damping systems, allowing for establishment of a testbed for future researchers. This project will result in the development of appropriate performance-based design procedures and simulation capabilities regarding advanced damping systems, as well as validation of such damping technologies for civil engineering applications, realizing the fundamental vision behind NEES. The successful validation of an effective real-time PSD testing method for large-scale, complex structures will break down the barriers currently preventing the validation of such innovative systems at large-scale, and will enable real-time PSD testing throughout NEES, leading to the possibility of sophisticated testing of more complex structures than have ever been tested before. International partnerships with researchers in Europe, Japan and China are established to draw upon relevant expertise and to enhance the impact of this integrated research and education program. Industrial collaborators will provide the perspective of and needs for the practicing engineering community. Education and technology transfer plans are focused on targeting a diverse audience at all levels including: graduate and undergraduate students through research, course modules, and training on testing procedures and equipment; regional K-12 students through existing partnerships; and practicing engineers through a NEES webinar. To further increase the participation of underrepresented students in these research and educational opportunities, City College of New York (a minority institution, a Hispanic serving institution and LSAMP member) is a partner in all aspects of this effort. The project website will house educational outcomes and information for interested researchers, practicing engineers and students. NEES tools and capabilities will play an integral role in conducting the experiments, project execution, and archiving and sharing the data. Data from this project will be made available through the NEES data repository (http://www.nees.org).