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

• Pioneering lateral impact testing of hollow diamond-shaped dampers. • Comprehensive analysis of the impact dynamic response of hollow diamond-shaped dampers. • Optimization of the hollow diamond-shaped damper for maximum impact resistance. 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-shaped 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-shaped 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, the larger hollow-area corresponds to reduced sectional stiffness and consequently larger impact-induced displacements. Under identical mass and impact conditions, optimized sectional designs achieve significantly higher energy-dissipation capacity and deformation performance.