Innovative Damper Design for Austin, Texas Tower.

Posted on November 14, 2017

Windtech Consultants has recently overcome a number of design constraints in order to design a liquid damper tank that maximises occupant comfort during high wind events across a broad range of frequencies with less sensitivity to tuning. The bespoke damper design was commissioned for The Independent development which will be one of the tallest all concrete residential towers in Austin, Texas when completed in 2018.

Tight dimensional constraints and the request to utilise a single tank led to Windtech Consultants having to look closely at the basic physics of how damping is generated to explore innovative ideas for a new type of liquid damper. The result was a semi-tuned liquid damper that, when tuned, can provide up to 2% additional damping to the structure but can also provide 0.9% damping at a tuning ratio of 0.8. This is a robust and low-maintenance design performs effectively over a broad range of frequencies.

A unique feature of this damper design is that it can work with the basic overall dimensions of a fire hydrant tank located at the top of the building. This innovative design enables the liquid damper to work in a similar way to a dashpot, using an intermediate platform that engages the lower compartment. The damper performance can be optimised by adjusting the height of the platform within the tank.