Investigation of a novel axially free shear panel damper with a limit-plate axial-release mechanism for seismic mitigation

The shear panel damper (SPD) is a passive control device featuring simple construction, low cost, and easy installation, and has been widely used in new buildings and the retrofitting of existing structures. However, in practice, SPDs are often subjected to combined axial and shear loads—an effect rarely considered in existing studies—posing potential risks for practical applications. Therefore, research on the performance of SPDs under combined axial and shear loading is urgently needed. In this study, the mechanical behavior of SPDs under different axial loads was first investigated. Results show that axial loads have a minor effect on the initial stiffness and energy dissipation capacity of conventional SPDs, but significantly influence the buckling mode and ultimate load capacity. Subsequently, a novel configuration reducing the influence of axial loads was proposed and integrated with the SPD to form an axially free shear panel damper (AFSPD) designed to minimize axial force transmission to the energy-dissipating web. The proposed device employs a limit-plate assembly with smooth circular-arc contact surfaces, which permits vertical relative movement while restraining horizontal displacement. Quasi-static tests were conducted to evaluate the AFSPD. The results indicate that compared with conventional SPDs, the AFSPD exhibits stable load-bearing capacity, delayed local buckling, and enhanced deformation capacity, albeit with slightly lower load-bearing capacity. Finally, the seismic performance of a high-rise steel frame structure equipped with the AFSPD was investigated through numerical analysis.