Development of a Novel Self-Centering Rocking Tube Damper

This paper develops and evaluates the Rocking Tube Damper (RTD), a self-centering device that decouples restoring force from energy dissipation for seismic applications. A mechanics-based model is developed to predict the force – displacement response governed by preloaded Belleville spring washers and is validated through cyclic testing up to ±25 mm. Results demonstrate stable bilinear elastic rocking behavior with peak forces up to 35 kN. Stiffness and force capacity scale with preload, while displacement capacity is governed by washer configuration, enabling independent tuning of performance. The results indicate that the RTD offers an efficient, scalable, and tunable solution for enhancing earthquake resilience.