Experimental and numerical analysis of pure aluminium shear panels for seismic protection of structures: An overview

G. De Matteis¹, G. Brando¹, F.M. Mazzolani²
¹ Dept. of Engineering, University of Chieti-Pescara “G. D’Annunzio”, Italy
² Dept. of Structural Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy

Among several types of metal-based devices conceived as dampers for the seismic protection of new and existing structures, shear panels represent a valid system. Recently, a research aimed at investigating the use of aluminium to develop new devices for passive protection has been performed by the authors. Shear panels made of pure aluminium and suitably reinforced by ribs to delay shear buckling in the plastic deformation field, have been tested and numerically analysed. Two different panel typologies have been taken into account. The former one, conceived in a full bay configuration, has in-plane dimensions of 1500x1000 mm2 and a thickness of 5 mm, whereas the latter is obtained by means of stiffened bracing type pure aluminium shear panels with a square shape with side length of 500 mm and 5 mm of thickness. Several types of slenderness ratios of the ribs have been considered, in order to evaluate the influence on the cyclic performance of the system. In the current paper a wide overview on the most recent results of the above research is provided and discussed to point out the good structural performance in terms of strength, stiffness and dissipative capacity of the proposed device.

Key words: Aluminium alloy, cyclic tests, FEM, numerical models, dissipative devices, low yield stress material, shear panels, buckling curves of stiffened plates

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	Experimental and numerical analysis of pure aluminium shear panels for seismic protection of structures: An overview G. De Matteis¹, G. Brando¹, F.M. Mazzolani² ¹ Dept. of Engineering, University of Chieti-Pescara “G. D’Annunzio”, Italy ² Dept. of Structural Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy Among several types of metal-based devices conceived as dampers for the seismic protection of new and existing structures, shear panels represent a valid system. Recently, a research aimed at investigating the use of aluminium to develop new devices for passive protection has been performed by the authors. Shear panels made of pure aluminium and suitably reinforced by ribs to delay shear buckling in the plastic deformation field, have been tested and numerically analysed. Two different panel typologies have been taken into account. The former one, conceived in a full bay configuration, has in-plane dimensions of 1500x1000 mm2 and a thickness of 5 mm, whereas the latter is obtained by means of stiffened bracing type pure aluminium shear panels with a square shape with side length of 500 mm and 5 mm of thickness. Several types of slenderness ratios of the ribs have been considered, in order to evaluate the influence on the cyclic performance of the system. In the current paper a wide overview on the most recent results of the above research is provided and discussed to point out the good structural performance in terms of strength, stiffness and dissipative capacity of the proposed device. Key words: Aluminium alloy, cyclic tests, FEM, numerical models, dissipative devices, low yield stress material, shear panels, buckling curves of stiffened plates