Concepts and Functions in the Building Engineering

Concepts and Functions in the Building Engineering

Performance of Friction Dampers and Rotational Friction Dampers

Author
Mehdi Shalchi
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) International University
10.22034/IJSCEBG.2025.176319
Abstract
Friction Dampers (Frictional Dampers) operate based on the principles of a Coulomb damper or a friction pad that converts kinetic energy into heat through friction. Essentially, friction dampers help a structure to elastically vibrate and dissipate seismic energy in a reversible manner.In recent years, research has shown that the use of friction dampers is one of the most effective methods for absorbing and dissipating earthquake energy. They are also among the simplest types of energy dissipation devices used in structures. The mechanism and operation of these friction dampers involve converting the kinetic energy generated by an earthquake into thermal energy through the friction between the damper plates. During this process, the energy is dissipated, and the resulting hysteresis loops represent the energy dissipation capacity of the system.
Keywords
Friction damper
kinetic energy
brake pad
dissipation
hysteresis