Inspection of 50 seismic dampers located in steel roof of Main Terminal Building of Athens International Airport performed by HiSCS.
Dampers are devices (similar to steel pistons) which can absorb – through their hydraulic behavior – the kinetic energy produced by the movement of the structure during an earthquake.
They follow the constitutive law FD = C · vα (MN) where:
C = coefficient of damping {MN x (s/m)α},
v = velocity (m/s) and
α = exponent value commonly between 0,10 και 0,50.
The exponent α, if not specified by the design, can be defined by the manufacturer based on the following criteria:
-dampers will not develop resistance during slow velocities/deformations of structure (i.e. case of thermal expansions & contractions
-should activate fast in case of earthquake
The properties of the hydraulic fluid of dampers (viscosity) as well as the design details of the units are considered and unique expertise & know-how of the manufacturer.
HiSCS Engineers accomplished the inspection and evaluation of these devices in about one week, during mid-night hours to avoid any annoyance of the passengers and Airport facilities operation using a telescopic basket lift inspection vehicle.
