This study specifically focuses on the damping efficiency of a damped structure with additional viscous dampers. A two-layer steel frame structure with eight sets of viscous dampers is used to conduct a series of seismic simulation shaking table tests, including a non-damped structure without dampers and two damped structures with dampers placed at 1/2 and 1/6 of the beam span, respectively. By conducting these tests, the energy dissipation, force, and displacement of the damper, as well as the parameters of the structure such as floor displacement and acceleration, are obtained. The main damping efficiency indicators of the damped structure are calculated, including the additional damping ratio, inter-story displacement utilization rate, as well as the reduction rate of the vertex displacement and the base shear relative to the non-damped structure. The study shows that the viscous dampers exhibit full hysteresis loops and a strong energy dissipation capacity in the structure. The seismic response of the vertex displacement and base shear in the damped structure is significantly smaller than that in the non-damped structure. Under different seismic levels, including frequent earthquakes, occasional earthquakes, and rare earthquakes, the damping effect of the dampers placed at 1/2 of the beam span is significantly better than that placed at 1/6 of the beam span. For example, the additional damping ratio for the X-direction artificial wave REN is 19% and 11%, 20% and 13%, and 13% and 11%, respectively. The patterns for inter-story displacement utilization ratio, reduction rate of the vertex displacement, and reduction rate of the base shear are similar. The research findings strongly indicate that the damped structure with additional viscous dampers exhibits excellent damping efficiency. In future damping design, designers need to fully consider the placement of viscous dampers within the beam span.

With the installation of rubber isolation bearings in the upper and lower ground layers, an isolated step-terrace structure was created. Considering the ultimate bearing capacity of the rubber bearing under tension as the critical condition, a comprehensive framework was established to evaluate the overturning failure mechanisms present in isolated step-terrace structures. The bound of nominal aspect ratio was identified as the principal control index within this framework, which incorporates critical parameters such as height ratio (α), width ratio (β), vertical tensile stiffness to compressive stiffness ratio (γ), seismic coefficient (k), and nominal vertical compressive stress (σ₀) to provide a thorough analysis of the structural responses and potential failure scenarios. In order to further investigate this matter, a scaled model of an isolated step-terrace concrete frame structure featuring two dropped layers and a single span within an 8° seismic fortification zone was meticulously crafted at a 1:10 similarity ratio. Subsequently, a series of shaking table tests were conducted to analyze the structural response under seismic excitation. The findings indicate that: utilizing the bound of nominal aspect ratio as a metric to gauge the anti-overturning capacity of isolated step-terrace structures is a justified approach. In instances where the height ratio remains constant, the bound of nominal aspect ratio for both positive and negative overturning trended upward with an increase in the width ratio. Notably, the bound of nominal aspect ratio for positive overturning consistently registered lower values compared to that of the negative overturning, underscoring the heightened susceptibility of step-terrace structures to positive overturning. Moreover, in scenarios characterized by higher height and width ratios, the structural integrity remained unscathed by any overturning effects arising from insufficient tensile strength in rubber bearings. Furthermore, the bound of nominal aspect ratio exhibited an ascending trend as the seismic coefficient, nominal vertical compressive stress, and vertical tensile stiffness to compressive stiffness ratio decreased. The outcomes derived from the shaking table test not only confirm the impressive seismic performance of the structure, but also, by closely examining the instantaneous stress variations within the upper and lower isolation layers of the model, substantiate the existence of a positive overturning hazard in scenarios marked by higher seismic coefficients (k). This observation aligns seamlessly with the theoretical projections, thereby substantiating the efficacy of the structural overturning failure theory through direct empirical verification.