Seismic behavior of a self-centering system with 2–4 viscous damper

This research demonstrates the efficacy of 2–4 viscous dampers in self-centering rocking structures with bi‑linear elastic response, which is distinctly different to conventional fixed‑base structures. This study assesses the relative impact of 2–4 devices versus typical viscous dampers and 1–3 viscous devices. Performance is assessed by maximum displacement, total base shear, and maximum acceleration, which are indicative of structural, foundation and contents demand. Simultaneous reductions of displacement, base-shear and acceleration are only available with the 2–4 damper. Finally, a simple method is proposed to incorporate 2–4 viscous dampers into self‑centering systems using standard design approaches.