SEISMIC PERFORMANCE OF PINCHING-FREE TENSION-ONLY CBF EQUIPPED WITH METAL FOAM DAMPER

This work investigates the potentialities of using aluminium foam material (AFM) in an innovative aluminium foam damper (AFD) for Tension-Only CBFs (TO-CBFs) and X-braced CBFs with steel rods or tubes as bracings. The AFD device comprises aluminium foam layers, providing the structure with dissipative capacity and a wedge system to prevent a pinched global structural response. 1-storey TO-CBFs are designed according to Eurocode 8, and two configurations are considered: the conventional TO-CBFs and the innovative configuration equipped with AFDs denoted as Pinching-Free Tension-Only CBF (PF-CBF). The seismic performance of the structures is evaluated through Incremental Dynamic Analysis based on numerical models developed in OpenSees. The performances of the conventional and upgraded systems are compared, highlighting the effects resulting from the introduction of AFD into traditional systems. Moreover, additional local parameters in terms of displacements are monitored to quantify the seismic demand of the PF-CBFs and gain insights into the AFD design.