Seismic performance and design of an innovative structure with controlled rocking shear wall using ring springs

The application of ring springs in civil engineering, aimed at improving the seismic behavior of structures, has been largely overlooked despite their many advantages. These springs are highly durable, heat-resistant, lowmaintenance, and self-centering, meaning that they withstand large deformations while always returning to their original state. Structures equipped with properly designed ring springs survive earthquakes without suffering major damage or plastic deformation, making them an excellent investment in terms of both economic efficiency and sustainable resource use. This paper explores a new use for ring springs in earthquake-resistant structures, with a focus on their implementation into controlled rocking shear walls. A parametric study utilizing the NonLinear Time History Analysis method was conducted on a simplified model to investigate the rocking behavior and derive a design methodology based on the obtained results. A comparative study was conducted on elastic, non-linear, and rocking shear walls to demonstrate the feasibility and design principles of the rocking systems. Furthermore, the results of the comparative studies provided evidence supporting the efficacy of incorporating ring spring dampers into the rocking systems. The controlled rocking shear wall demonstrated elastic behavior during seismic loading, indicating that the addition of ring spring dampers was effective in enhancing its performance. On the other hand, the conventionally designed numerical model exhibited nonlinear behavior at its base. The developed design procedure ultimately enables the practical application of controlled rocking shear walls using ring spring dampers in earthquake engineering.