FRICTION-DAMPERS FOR SEISMIC UPGRADE OF QUEBEC POLICE HEADQUARTERS, MONTREAL

摘要

The existing sixteen-storey steel frame building was built in 1964. In 1998, it was to undergo major renovations to house the new headquarters of Quebec Provincial Police (Surete du Quebec). The seismic resistance of the existing structure was not adequate to meet the requirements of current building codes. Police stations of being of post-disaster importance, the seismic upgrading was undertaken along with other renovations and completed in 1999. Introduction of supplemental damping in conjunction with appropriate stiffness was the chosen solution. This was achieved by incorporating Pall friction-dampers in the existing and new bracing. The results of three-dimensional dynamic analysis have shown superior performance of friction-damped frames compared to conventional rehabilitation. The introduction of supplemental damping provided by friction-dampers significantly reduced the lateral inertial forces and amplitude of vibrations. The strengthening of expensive and time-consuming work on pile foundation was avoided. Besides superior seismic performance, the structural system offers savings in the upgrade cost compared to conventional stiffening methods.