Impact resistance of hollow diamond-shaped dampers: Experimental and finite element analysis

To investigate the impact resistance of the hollow diamond-shaped damper, drop-weight impact tests were conducted on 16 groups of specimens with varying geometric parameters under different drop heights. During the tests, the impact force time-history curves, displacement time-history curves, the full impact process, and failure modes of the hollow diamond dampers were recorded and analyzed to assess the influence of distinct parameters on their impact performance. Based on experimental validation, nonlinear finite element analyses were carried out to comprehensively examine the effects of sectional weakening parameters and impact energy on the energy-dissipation capacity of the dampers. Finally, under identical mass and impact conditions, the optimal sectional dimensions for maximizing impact resistance were investigated in depth. The results indicate that the sectional geometric parameters of the hollow diamond damper significantly affect its dynamic response and energy-dissipation capacity under impact loading. Within a certain range of impact energy and prior to structural failure, a larger hollow-area corresponds to reduced sectional stiffness and consequently larger impact-induced displacements. For dampers of equal mass, sectional optimization can yield improved energy-dissipation performance and enhanced deformation capacity.