Online test of building frame with slit-wall dampers capable of condition assessment

This paper presents the development of a passive damper device, consisting of a steel plate shear wall with vertical slits. The segments between the slits behave as a series of flexural links providing a ductile response without the need of out-of-plane stiffening. By altering the slit’s configuration, condition assessment capabilities can be achieved. The feasibility of the modified slit configuration is demonstrated by finite element analyses. A three-storey building is studied, where steel plate shear walls with modified slit configurations are implemented as shear-resisting elements. The structure was tested using an online hybrid testing technique. The experiments indicate that the shear walls exhibited stable hysteresis, providing excellent energy dissipation and ductility. The condition assessment capabilities of the proposed device were demonstrated by recording the spreading of strain through the steel plates.