Mechanical performance simulation and application of assembled self-centring shear lead damper

This study proposes a novel Assembled Self-Centring Shear Lead Damper (ASSLD) for seismic mitigation, integrating superelastic SMA bars with energy-dissipation rings to achieve simultaneous recentering and energy dissipation. A comprehensive experimental and numerical investigation was conducted, including SMA material characterization, cyclic component tests, parametric studies, and system-level analysis under realistic seismic excitations. Experimental results indicate that the ASSLD achieves up to 45% improvement in energy dissipation capacity and 30% enhancement in recentering reliability compared with conventional shear lead dampers. A hybrid numerical model incorporating embedded filaments and connector elements accurately predicts damper response across displacement ranges and accounts for the R-phase transformation plateau observed in SMA behaviour. Time-history analyses demonstrate effective reduction of inter-story drift, while highlighting conditions (specific frequency contents and intensity ranges) under which top displacement may be amplified. These findings validate the ASSLD's potential for practical seismic applications and provide quantitative guidance for engineering design.