products
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Seismic isolation products
Taylor Devices’ Fluid Viscous Dampers are applicable to both fixed and base isolated structures, including buildings, bridges, and lifeline equipment. Diagonal brace dampers are available in output levels of 2,000 pounds to 2,000,000 pounds force, with strokes of up to 6 inches. Base isolation dampers are available in output levels of 100,000 pounds to 2,000,000 pounds force, with strokes of up to 120 inches. Standard output for both product lines is linear, where force is proportional to velocity. This allows damping levels as high as 50% of critical, offering truly dramatic seismic stress reduction in any structure. Optional output functions are available, including low damping exponents from 0.3 to 0.9, and relief valve damping offering an essentially flat response above a specified velocity limit. Special fluidic orificing can be supplied to allow thermal movement with minimal resistance while providing lockup for seismic events, thus creating a Force Transmission Device from this product line. For unusual seismic applications, adaptive or semi-active controls can be incorporated into any Taylor Seismic Damper. These products also have non-seismic applications as wind dampers on tall buildings, bridges and other structures. You can now protect almost any new or existing structure against earthquakes....simply and inexpensively. Taylor Devices' Fluid Viscous Dampers provide complete protection for buildings, bridges, towers, elevated freeways; virtually any structure that is subject to earthquake damage. You can also protect sensitive equipment inside your building, like computers and generators. Taylor Dampers literally soak up the energy of earthquake or wind-induced motion, preventing structural damage and increasing occupant protection and comfort. Compact, yet powerful, Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers increase structural damping levels to as much as 40% of critical, the results being truly dramatic cost savings on both new and existing structures. Plus, these products provide a most compact design, allowing structures to be architecturally clean and elegant. Based on aerospace technology, Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers have been proven in extensive tests at the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and the Earthquake Engineering Research Center (EERC) at the University of California at Berkeley. Today more than 130 buildings and bridges worldwide are using Taylor Devices’ Fluid Viscous Dampers. Here is what you get when you specify Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers: Substantial Stress Reduction - Greatly enhanced damping lowers both stress and deflection throughout a structure, whether the input is seismic or high winds. Easy to Model with Existing Codes - Taylor Dampers are completely viscous, linear in output and will simply and efficiently raise structural damping to 30%-40% of critical, vs. 2% for a typical undamped design. Easy Installation - A wide range of compact sizes are readily available, to reduce installation cost. Peace of Mind - Totally passive dampers for extreme reliability, with no dependence on outside energy sources. Worry-Free Operation - No maintenance ever. Patented seal has a history of over 45 years of successful performance on demanding applications. Completely self-contained design; no refilling, no leakage, no problems. Environmentally Proven Output - Thermostatically controlled, virtually unaffected by temperatures from -40°F to +160°F. Nonflammable inert fluid and stainless steel piston rods on all models. Security Through Protection - Provides occupants and users the maximum possible safety and comfort, backed by 35-year warranty.
Q: Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers are very compact, how can such a physically small product help a large building or bridge to be more survivable during an earthquake?
Q: How can Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers reduce building deflection and stress at the same time? If we use dampers to limit the deflection, won't this increase the load into the building columns?
Q: How much damping is needed?
Q: We are not located in an area of seismic activity, why should we be interested in dampers?
Q: Why are Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers better than friction dampers such as sliding joints and plastic hinges? The second difference is that friction dampers put out an essentially constant force when deflected, independent of velocity. This response causes continual stress in the structure during all thermal expansion and contraction of the structure. Fluid Viscous Dampers put out virtually zero force at the low velocities associated with thermal motion. The third difference is that friction dampers restrict a structure from restoring itself to its original position after seismic events. Fluid Viscous Dampers allow the structure to re-center itself perfectly at all times.
Q: How do Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers compare to visco-elastic devices? One of the most serious problems with visco-elastic devices is an unacceptable increase in force at low temperatures coupled with an accompanying overloading of the bonding agent used to "glue" the visco-elastic material to its steel attachments. At high temperatures, unacceptable softening or reduction of output occurs. This thermal variance from high to low temperature can be in the range of fifty to one. In comparison, Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers include a bi-metallic orifice which acts like a thermostat to provide uniform performance over a temperature range of -40 F to +160 F. This excellent thermal stability is combined with all steel construction, having internally threaded joints and no welded or bonded parts.
Q: Do you have any life test data on your dampers, particularly the seals?
Q: How do we go about sizing Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers for an application? All we need to select the damper that satisfies your requirements is to be given the value of the required damping constant, the velocity exponent, and the maximum translational velocity of the damper. In a viscous damping model, the output of the damper is:
Once performance requirements have been satisfied using linear damping (
Q: What type of mountings should be used?
Q: What are Taylor's materials of construction?
Q: What is Taylor's operating fluid?
Q: Is Engineering Data available on your standard Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers? Pressure cylinders and end caps of all dampers are machined from alloy steel billet, internally threaded, and through hardened. All Taylor Devices' damper cylinders are rated and proof tested to a minimum burst pressure of 20,000 psi, per U.S. Government standards. No failure prone tie rods, welds, castings or gaskets are used in any Taylor Devices' product, providing the most compact and reliable damping device available. All piston rods are machined from type 17-4 PH stainless steel billet, through hardened, hand polished to a mirror-like 2 micro-inch surface finish, and Teflon® impregnated by a proprietary process. All dynamic pressure seals are exclusively manufactured and patented by Taylor Devices, and are machined from billets of structural polymer. Our seals are non-elastomeric, therefore no periodic seal changes or seal exercising is required. Operating fluid is inert silicone, manufactured per U.S. Federal standards, environmentally safe, and cosmetically inert. This fluid is formulated exclusively for Taylor Devices, and is rated non-flammable and non-combustible under OSHA regulations. All damper internal flow passages are of the non-clogging, annular discharge type. Orifices are solid state fluidic type, passively temperature compensated, with no moving parts, springs, poppets, or spools. Operating temperature range is -40°F to +160°F. All Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers are built to be maintenance free. No reservoirs, external plumbing, fluid level indicators, accumulators, or periodic fluid changes are needed. Thus, all users benefit from our 40 years of experience in designing and manufacturing fluid damping products. Each Taylor Fluid Viscous Damper is individually tested to customer specified maximum forces and velocities prior to delivery.
Q: Is dimensional data available on your standard Taylor Fluid Viscous Dampers?
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