Compression Strength Testing for Automotive Brake Pads Used in Earthquake Energy Dampers

In order to calibrate a friction damper which uses automotive brake pads it is necessary to determine the compression behaviour of the friction material. This paper summarizes the experimental results obtained for a set of automotive brake pads made in Romania. These results are useful in order to determine the slip load level in a seismic energy dissipation mechanism which uses this type of friction pads. The paper presents the experimental set up and the compression behaviour curves obtained for a set of four commercial brake pads. The testing was performed by the author as a part of his research work, using a hydraulic compression press.