Seismic Retrofit in Hospitals using Fluid Viscous Dampers

The addition of fluid viscous dampers to structures increases damping and reduce the lateral displacements due large earthquake loads, being an effective technique for seismic control of responses specially by severe earthquakes events and structures at high seismic hazard zone, safeguarding them from possible collapse. The objective of this research is to compare the structural performance of essential structures of confined masonry older than 50 years, asbuilt and retrofitted with viscous dampers. Additionally, the structure is analyzed with a traditional reinforcement technique such as reinforced concrete walls, in order to evaluate the feasibility of the first proposal. It was found that including dampers the drifts are reduced from 0.6% to its half, better performance that implementing concrete walls with 0.45% drift response. Besides stresses levels at masonry walls have been reduced better than retrofit building new concrete walls. It is shown the feasibility of the proposal in structural responses using fluid viscous dampers.