Numerical verification of variable friction cladding connection for multihazard mitigation

The motion of cladding systems can be leveraged to mitigate natural and man-made hazards. The literature counts various examples of connections enhanced with passive energy dissipation capabilities at connections. However, because such devices are passive, their mitigation performance is typically limited to specific excitations. The authors have recently proposed a novel variable friction cladding connection capable of mitigating hazards semi-actively. The variable friction cladding connection is engineered to transfer lateral forces from the cladding element to the structural system. Its variation in friction force is generated by a toggle-actuated variable normal force applied onto sliding friction plates. In this study, a multiobjective motion-based design methodology integrating results from the previous work is proposed to leverage the variable friction cladding connection for nonsimultaneous wind, seismic, and blast hazard mitigation. The procedure starts with the quantification of each hazard and performance objectives. It is followed by the selection of dynamic parameters enabling prescribed performance under wind and seismic loads, after which an impact rubber bumper is designed to satisfy motion requirements under blast. Last, the peak building responses are computed and iterations conducted on the design parameters on the satisfaction of the motion objectives. The motion-based design procedure is verified through numerical simulations on two example buildings subjected to the three nonsimultaneous hazards. The performance of the variable friction cladding connection is also assessed and compared against different control cases. Results show that the motion-based design procedure yields a conservative design approach in meeting all of the motion requirements and that the variable friction cladding connection performs significantly well at mitigating vibrations.