Development of a Finite Element Model to Predict the Behavior of a U-Shaped Dissipative Device

In this work, a model and the related experimental tests of a U-shaped flexural plate (UFP) device are presented. This was designed in 2018 to be used as an auxiliary device for the seismic isolation of a building located in an Italian seismic zone. In the same year an experimental campaign was conducted, in which several types of dissipative devices were studied considering different geometry. The model presented in this work refers to the device that was chosen in the experimental campaign, since no model was developed for it. The principal steps of the modelling in Midas FEA environment are explained, starting from the geometrical discretization to the calibration of the joint stiffness and the hardening factor of the material.