Experimental estimation of equivalent viscous damping for post- tensioned timber framed buildings with dissipative bracing systems.

A reliable estimation of the equivalent viscous damping can have a significant impact in displacement-based design procedure. Although the performance-based seismic design approach is advanced for some types of buildings (e.g. reinforced concrete structures), its application to other types structures, such as post-tensioned timber framed buildings with dissipative bracing systems, still requires further investigation. In this paper the equivalent viscous damping of a three-dimensional, three storey, 2/3 scaled, post-tensioned timber framed structure, with and without V-inverted dissipative bracing systems, is estimated from shaking table tests considering an approach based on the equality of the dissipated energy with stored one. The experimental results are compared with numerical non-linear time history analyses and with formulations available in literature.