This paper describes high-damping rubber damper used for vibration control of high-rise buildings. This damper aims at decreasing the wide vibration range from earthquake motion to wind-induced vibration input to a high-rise building. In general, highly molecular material like high-damping rubber has large temperature dependence of mechanics characteristics. In order to consider the dependences of the damper on the temperature, the test sample was enclosed in a constant-temperature oven to keep the temperature constant. The experimental results were compared with the design formula of the damper proposed in this study. The design formula enables to express the damping force characteristics of this damper qualitatively and quantitatively. Moreover, the damping characteristics of the damper was examined with the Voigt model.
Many vibration control systems, which are divided into a mass damper system and a storey-installation damper system, for habitability or seismic-safety improvement in high-rise buildings have been developing in recent years. However, a passive energy absorbing system will be the most ideal devices if we consider to reduce the structural responses against the various levels of inputs such from traffic induced vibration to destructive vibration. This study has been developed the vibration control system of an energy absorbing type used the high-damping rubber as a vibration control material. We had already cleared experimentally and analytically that the high-damping rubber damper has stable damping performances in wide vibration area through the various loading tests and the shaking table tests. In this paper, the fundamental performances and the vibration control effects of the full size high-damping rubber damper which was made from the results up to this time is described.
