Experimental tests and analytical model of high damping rubber dissipating devices

High damping rubber (HDR) consists of natural rubber to which black carbon filler is added to increase its damping properties. The use of HDR as a dissipating device in structural systems is very promising in terms of controlling the response under live actions like wind or earthquake. The use of HDR does however entail some problems because its dynamic behaviour is not completely understood and the few HDR models that exist are not completely satisfactory for seismic analysis of structures equipped with HDR-base dissipation devices. Experimental tests were performed to obtain more accurate information about the behaviour of the material under cyclic shear paths with different strain rate and strain amplitude. A nonlinear viscoelastic damage model was proposed to describe the behaviour of rubber under cyclic loads.