Collaborative Research: Multi-Hazard Response Mitigation Systems Using High Strength and Damping Capacity Shape Memory Alloys

The research objective of this proposal is to design, fabricate and characterize superelastic shape memory alloys (SMAs) with high strength and high damping capacity to mitigate damage and enhance post-earthquake functionality of civil structures subjected to moderate-to-strong earthquakes by implementing a novel passive energy dissipation device. These high performance SMAs will be composed of recently developed NiTiHfPd alloys that have very high strength, high dissipation/damping capacity, good cyclic stability and large operating temperature. Moreover, their shape memory properties can be easily be tailored by heat treatments. Thus, PIs propose that NiTiHfPd alloys are more suitable for energy dissipation devices in civil structures and they will provide better performance than conventional NiTi SMAs. However, more systematic experimental characterization and modeling of NiTiHfPd alloy are needed to determine their true potential in superelastic civil engineering applications.