In-situ monitoring of fluid dampers for vibration control of structures: Experimental investigation

This paper presents results from a comprehensive experimental program on medium and large size fluid dampers in an effort to extract their force output during cyclic loading by simply measuring the strain on the damper housing and the end-spacer of the damper. The paper first discusses the stress path within the damper and subsequently via the use of linear elasticity shows that the experimental data obtained with commercially available strain gauges yield a force output of the damper that is in good agreement with the readings from the load cell. This comparison is achieved via the use of a position and velocity transducer which combines good accuracy together with robust performance in a marine environment. The data show that the proposed arrangement is promising for monitoring in-situ the force output of fluid dampers and detect possible loss of the energy dissipation capability.