Practical issues and solutions on installation of viscoelastic dampers in a 46-story reinforced concrete building structure

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of viscoelastic dampers (VEDs) practically used for enhancing the serviceability of a 46-story reinforced concrete residential building structure. Considering that a bracing system for the installation of VEDs is not appropriate for a residential building because it occupies a large interior space, a method for installing VEDs at the midspan of a horizontal beam connecting the core and exterior columns is proposed. These VEDs control the total structural response in a similar way to a general outrigger system. The results from numerical analysis indicate that VEDs are effective for reducing not only mean components but also fluctuating ones of wind-induced responses by providing additional damping as well as stiffness. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.