Pipe damper, Part II: Application to bridges

Theoretical and experimental verification of the pipe damper was investigated in Part I of the two companion papers. In this paper, the application of the pipe damper to structures is examined. In particular, single span slab–girder bridges are considered for analytical investigations. A practical detail for the installation of the pipe damper is introduced. Nonlinear dynamic time history analyses are conducted on bridges equipped with the pipe damper and the results are compared with ordinary bridges. Bridge span, ground motion and the pipe length are varied in the analyses. Results show that the pipe damper is a reliable and economical metallic-yielding device that can easily be installed and replaced. A step-by-step method using inelastic response spectra is also introduced for optimum selection of such devices.