Experimental analysis of beam-to-column joints equipped with sprayed aluminium friction dampers

In this paper, the results of an experimental analysis regarding beam-to-column joints equipped with friction dampers are presented. Even though the overall concept is not new, the connection structural detail and the friction pad material are different from previous proposals. In particular, the beam is connected to the column with a classical fixed T-stub fastening the upper flange and a friction damper located at the beam lower flange. The friction damper is composed of a stack of steel plates conceived to assure symmetrical friction. The friction pads are made of steel plates coated with thermally sprayed aluminium. The friction damper is designed in order to slide for a force level equal to or lower than the ratio between the nominal flexural resistance of the connected beam and the lever arm, i.e. the distance between the top T-stub and the friction damper. In this way, it is possible to obtain connections able to dissipate the seismic input energy almost without any damage to the steel elements, provided that all the joint components are designed with sufficient over-strength with respect to the actions corresponding to the friction damper sliding force. In this paper, such approach is validated reporting the results of an experimental campaign.