Experimental and numerical response analysis of a unilaterally constrained sdof system under harmonic base excitation
The pounding between adjacent systems can occur in different situations typical of civil engineering (base-isolated structures with limited seismic gap [1], equipment [3, 4] or bridges). The acceleration spikes, produced by the impact, can damage acceleration-sensitive equipment or lead to severe structural damage. These side effects can be mitigated inserting dissipative and deformable shock absorbers (bumpers) between the colliding systems, thus reducing the impact stiffness.