The Dynamic Response of Wood-Frame Shear Walls with Viscoelastic Dampers

Abstract

Results are presented of an experimental investigation, the objectives of which were to evaluate and compare the performance of conventional plywood shear walls with walls that include viscoelastic (VE) dampers. Cyclic tests were conducted on conventional walls and walls with VE dampers; five different damper configurations were tested. The walls with the VE dampers showed an increase in the total energy dissipation and an increase in the effective stiffness, relative to the conventional wall, with increases in energy dissipation as high as 59 percent. Tests demonstrated that the sheathing-to-stud and corner dampers can easily be installed within the confines of the wall and can be utilized without impacting the design, construction, or finishing of the shear wall. The results demonstrate that addition of the viscoelastic dampers significantly enhanced the dynamic performance of the walls by increasing the energy dissipation capacity and providing a constant source of energy dissipation.