Seismic structural control using semi-active tuned mass dampers

This paper focuses on how to determine the instantaneous damping of the semi-active tuned mass damper(SATMD) with continuously variable damping. An off-and-towards-equilibrium (OTE) algorithm is employed to examine thecontrol performance of the structure/SATMD system by considering the damping as an assumptive control action. Thedamping modification of the SATMD is carried out according to the proposed OTE algorithm, which is formulated based onanalysis of the structural movement under external excitations, and the measured responses of the structure at every time instant.As examples two numerical simulations of a five-storey and a ten-storey shear structures with a SATMD on the roof areconducted. The effectiveness on vibration reduction of MDOF systems subjected to seismic excitations is discussed. Analysisresults show that the behavior of the structure with a SATMD is significantly improved and the feasibility of applying the OTEalgorithm to the structural control design of SATMD is also verified.