Nonlinear dynamic response of an isolation system with negative stiffness and shape memory alloy (SMA) based damping

The negative stiffness offered by bi-stable mechanisms can improve the dynamic performance of a structure. In this work the effects of adding negative stiffness and shape memory alloy (SMA) damping in base-isolated structures are explored through the study of the stationary response for different values of negative stiffness and SMA hysteretic damping ratio. The frequency response curves of the isolated structure, with and without the negative stiffness contribution, are numerically obtained for different levels of excitation amplitude in order to evaluate the acceleration and displacement transmissibility curves. The benefits of negative stiffness, damping amplification and reduced transmissibility of accelerations and displacements, as well as the existence of dynamic instabilities, are illustrated.