Numerical approach for improving and enhancing the behavior of I-shaped damper using diagonal stiffeners added to the web of the damper

Comprehensive researches to consider the behaviour of the metallic dampers have proven that the I-shaped link, designed to act as shear mechanism, serves as a ductile fuse. However, a key limitation is the reduced strength and stiffness of the system when these links are directly connected to the diagonal member of a concentrically braced frame. To improve the structural performance of I-shaped links, researchers have suggested increasing the web plate thickness, which, in turn, raises the load on the brace members. A novel solution to address this issue involves incorporating diagonal stiffeners into the dampers. This study numerically and parametrically investigates the effect of stiffening I-shaped links using finite element analysis. Numerical studies show that the stiffeners not only prevent the web plate from buckling (which improves its performance) but also share the imposed loading. By including stiffeners, a thinner web plate can be utilized instead of a thicker one to achieve greater ultimate strength and stiffness. The parametric analysis highlights that the thickness of the stiffeners plays a more critical role than the properties of the flange or web plate in determining damper performance. Based on these results, an optimal configuration for I-shaped dampers is proposed in this study.