Metaconcrete: An Experimental Study on the Impact of the Core-Coating Inclusions on Mechanical Vibration

Resonance vibration of structures is an unpleasant incident that can be conventionally avoided by using a Tuned Mass Damper (TMD). The scope of this paper contains the utilization of engineered inclusions in concrete as damping aggregates to suppress resonance vibration similar to a TMD. The inclusions are composed of a stainless-steel core with a spherical shape coated with silicone. This configuration has been the subject of several studies and it is best known as Metaconcrete. This paper presents the procedure of a free vibration test conducted with two small-scaled concrete beams. The beams exhibited a higher damping ratio after the core-coating element was secured to them. Subsequently, two meso-models of small-scaled beams were created: one representing conventional concrete and the other representing concrete with the core-coating inclusions. The frequency response curves of the models were obtained. The change in the response peak verified the ability of the inclusions to suppress the resonance vibration. This study concludes that the core-coating inclusions can be utilized in concrete as damping aggregates.