Response analysis of a pile-supported wharf equipped with shape memory alloy energy absorber braces

This paper focuses on the response analysis of a typical pile-supported wharf considering the elasto-plastic behavior of the reinforced concrete piles and the nonlinear behavior of seabed soil. Shape memory alloy (SMA) braces are especially designed in the present work to improve the energy absorption response of the wharf structure. Diagonally installed braces consisting of SMA bars are optimized for the dimensions of the SMA bar, angle of installation, and their installation arrangement to maximize the energy dissipation by the wharf. Through nonlinear load/unload analysis of the wharf, the optimum dimensions of the SMA bar and also the optimum brace arrangement are obtained for which the area of the hysteresis loop has a maximum value. The transient dynamic analysis of the wharf shows that the damping effect of the SMA braces increases with the amplitude of vibration. This shows the capability of the SMA material in passive controlling of the wharf structural vibrations.