Implicit dynamic analysis of VE-damped structures using Maxwell parallel systems

A direct integration method for the dynamic analysis of structures equipped with viscoelastic dampers (VED) is presented in this paper. The constituti ve model of the damper is set using a system of Maxwell elements composed i n parallel (MPS) the evolutive behavior of the VE material is accounted for by introducing temperature-dependent mechanical properties. The solution p rocedure follows an incremental approach of implicit type that, by means of a discrete-time formulation of the problem, allows expression of the dampi ng force discretization in a form suitable to be included in a standard int egration scheme. The resulting algorithm is proved to be very effective and robust; the distinctive features of the proposed numerical method suggest the possibility of a successful implementation of an MPS procedure in the f rame of a standard finite element code.