Energy dissipation devices and vibration-control systems for structures and infrastructures to mitigate damages under different hazards, Volume II

Energy dissipation devices and vibration-control systems are increasingly being used for damage mitigation induced by earthquakes and other hazards such as strong wind, storms, hurricanes, and tsunamis that may strike structures and infrastructures. The capabilities of such devices and control systems in reducing structural vibrations, demonstrated by past hazardous events, makes them particularly desirable for both new and existing strategic structures, such as police stations, schools, hospitals, and nuclear power plants and critical infrastructures, such as bridges, tunnels, and sea walls.

Although some of those systems, like base-isolation and passive viscous dampers, are quite mature and often used in practical applications, there are still some open issues and research-related aspects deserving further investigations. On the contrary, other younger systems, such as novel energy dissipation systems, inerter-based vibration control systems, negative-stiffness vibration isolators, magneto-rheological dampers, still require further theoretical studies and experimental investigations before their full technological validation. Some possible aspects of interest are mentioned here:

- development of comprehensive analytical and numerical models for describing their mechanical behavior, validate by experimental results;

- development of novel detailed design procedures capable of optimizing the performances of the controlled structures;

- development of fully probabilistic procedures capable of incorporating both the inherent and epistemic uncertainties related to the response of the devices and of the controlled structure;

- development of design guidelines and recommendations for practitioners;


In light of the above, the Research Topic aims to collect the latest research results on these open issues, by welcoming contributions from researchers, manufacturers, and practitioners that include, but are not limited to, the following aspects:

1) advanced numerical modeling of the constitutive behavior of energy dissipation devices and vibration-control systems;

2) cost/benefit studies comparing the performances of structures and infrastructures equipped with different energy dissipation devices and vibration-control systems considering different hazards,

3) phenomenological models that can be incorporated into future standards and regulations, implemented in software, and used by practitioners;

4) design procedures and/or numerical procedures for optimal performance/s of structures and infrastructures equipped with energy dissipation devices and control systems;

5) performance-based assessment and reliability-based design of structures and infrastructures equipped with energy dissipation devices and vibration-control systems;

6) new testing protocols or modification of existing protocols based on experimental results;

7) development of novel energy dissipation devices and vibration-control systems and validation through numerical simulations;

8) development of prototype tests from laboratory findings;

9) experimental validation of novel dissipation devices and vibration-control systems;

10) case studies documenting the implementation of energy dissipation devices and vibration-control systems in existing structures and infrastructures ;

11) development of new retrofitting solutions for existing buildings based on the use of energy dissipation devices and vibration-control systems