ABSTRACT Viscous damping walls (VDWs) are increasingly employed in structural vibration control due to their high energy dissipation efficiency, low maintenance costs, and exceptional reliability. To evaluate the seismic performance and damping effectiveness of a large stadium equipped with VDWs, an equivalent test model was established to match the additional damping ratio of the prototype structure. First, a theoretical equivalent model with the same additional damping ratio as the prototype was developed based on structural dynamics principles. A shaking table test model was then fabricated and validated for consistency with the theoretical model. Subsequently, shaking table tests were conducted on the equivalent model and the comparative models with different VDW configurations. Results showed that the model designed with the same additional damping ratio successfully reproduced the prototype's dynamic characteristics. On the floors equipped with VDWs, seismic responses were significantly reduced, with peak acceleration reduced by about 20%, inter‐story drift by over 35%, and inter‐story shear force by up to 40%. In contrast, unequipped upper stories exhibited slight amplifications in these responses due to load redistribution. The tests also revealed that potential out‐of‐plane rotation of the VDWs alters their mechanical behavior, resulting in a significant decline in energy dissipation capacity under minor seismic excitation.
Wu et al. (2026) studied this question.