Numerical and analytical modeling of shear-yielding dampers under lateral cyclic loading

Shear-yielding dampers play a vital role in eccentrically braced framed structures, by dissipating seismic energy and safeguarding surrounding structural components. These short members are deliberately designed to yield in shear under lateral loads, enabling efficient energy absorption while minimizing damage to other elements. This study investigates the reliability of numerical and analytical models in capturing the cyclic behavior of shear-yielding steel dampers. A robust methodology for constructing a 3D finite element model is developed, incorporating geometric imperfections and a material model capable of simulating cyclic plasticity. The numerical model is validated against experimental data, demonstrating excellent agreement in predicting key parameters such as yield shear force, ultimate shear strength, and elastic stiffness. Furthermore, a refined isotropic-kinematic hardening analytical model is presented, calibrated using a parametric study of 64 specimens to replicate hysteretic behavior observed in numerical tests. The refined analytical model not only predicts hysteretic curves and skeleton curves with high accuracy but also addresses limitations of existing formulations by incorporating ultimate shear strength criteria.