Optimal Design of Supplemental Dampers in Framed Structures

The study presents a new design approach to optimally locate dampers in framed structures. The optimal location and placing of damping devices is investigated by assessing the power balance of structrues subject to seismic actions described by a response spectrum. More specifically, through describing the amount of power dissipated by means of a performance index, the problem of optimization is solved by its maximization through a modal analysis in the state space. The proposed design methodology has been tested by analyzing the seismic response of two structuresal steel-framed typologies subjected to several recorded seismic excitations. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the design procedure