Study of Damping of Bare and Encased Steel I-Beams Using the Thermoelastic Model

Steel I-beams are a fundamental structural component in civil construction. They are one of the main load-bearing components in a building that must withstand both the structure and any incoming external perturbations, such as seismic events. To avoid damage to the structure, the building must be designed to dissipate the maximum amount of energy possible. One way energy can be dissipated is through internal or structural damping, of which thermoelasticity is one of the causes, especially in low-frequency harmonic excitations. The main goal of this study is to analyze the amount of damping in an I-beam generated by thermoelasticity and when encased in a Portland cement concrete layer, using a Finite Element model. It was found that, due to the geometry of the I-Beam, the damping coefficient as a function of frequency has two local maxima, as opposed to the traditional single maximum in rectangular beams. Encasing an I-beam in a concrete layer decreases the overall damping. While the extra coating protects the beam, the reduction in damping leads to a lower energy dissipation rate and higher vibration amplitudes.

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