Elastic and Inelastic Seismic Response of Buildings with Damping Systems

The effect of damping on the response of elastic and inelastic single‐degree‐of‐freedom systems was studied by nonlinear response‐history analysis using earthquake histories that matched on average a 2000 NEHRP spectrum on a stiff soil site for a region of high seismic risk. New displacement reduction factors for levels of damping greater than 5% of critical are presented. New equations to relate inelastic and elastic displacements in the short‐period range, for levels of damping greater than 5% of critical, are presented. The technical basis for reducing the minimum design base shear in damped buildings by a maximum of 25%, from that required for the corresponding undamped building, is derived based on comparable levels of damage in both the damped and undamped buildings.