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Engineering

Designing a Self-Centering Seismic Damper for Bridge Piers

Quick fact

Unlike conventional dampers that only absorb energy, self-centering dampers also actively push the structure back to its original position, eliminating permanent drift—a key feature for bridges that must remain usable after a quake.

Why this is interesting

After an earthquake, why do some bridges stay standing but still have to be torn down? The answer lies in a hidden enemy: permanent deformation—and a new type of damper is designed to defeat it.