Tuned mass dampers for response control of torsional buildings

This paper presents an approach for optimum design of tuned mass dampers for response control of torsional building systems subjected to bi‐directional seismic inputs. Four dampers with fourteen distinct design parameters, installed in pairs along two orthogonal directions, are optimally designed. A genetic algorithm is used to search for the optimum parameter values for the four dampers. This approach is quite versatile as it can be used with different design criteria and definitions of seismic inputs. It usually provides a globally optimum solution. Several optimal design criteria, expressed in terms of performance functions that depend on the structural response, are used. Several sets of numerical results for a torsional system excited by random and response spectrum models of seismic inputs are presented to show the effectiveness of the optimum designs in reducing the system response. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Placement of sensors/actuators on civil structures using genetic algorithms

The optimal design and placement of controllers at discrete locations is an important problem that will have impact on the control of civil engineering structures. Though algorithms exist for the placement of sensor/actuator systems on continuous structures, the placement of controllers on discrete civil structures is a very difficult problem. Because of the nature of civil structures, it is not possible to place sensors and actuators at any location in the structure. This usually creates a non‐linear constrained mixed integer problem that can be very difficult to solve. Using genetic algorithms in conjunction with gradient‐based optimization techniques will allow for the simultaneous placement and design of an effective structural control system. The introduction of algorithms based on genetic search procedures should increase the rate of convergence and thus reduce the computational time for solving the difficult control problem. The newly proposed method of simultaneously placing sensors/actuators will be compared to a commonly used method of sensors/actuators placement where sensors/actuators are placed sequentially. The savings in terms of energy requirements and cost will be discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study of identification and control of structures using neural network. Part 2: control

Experimental verifications of a recently developed active structural control method using neural networks are presented in this paper. The experiments were performed on the earthquake simulator at the University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign. The test specimen was a 1/4 scale model of a three-storey building. The control system consisted of a tendon/pulley system controlled by a single hydraulic actuator at the base. The control mechanism was implemented through four active pre-tensioned tendons connected to the hydraulic actuator at the first floor. The structure modelling and system identification has been presented in a companion paper. (Earthquake Engng. Struct. Dyn. 28 , 995–1018 (1999)). This paper presents the controller design and implementation. Three controllers were developed and designed: two neurocontrollers, one with a single sensor feedback and the other with three sensor feedback, and one optimal controller with acceleration feedback. The experimental design of the neurocontrollers is accomplished in three steps: system identification, multiple emulator neural networks training and finally the neurocontrollers training with the aid of multiple emulator neural networks. The effectiveness of both neurocontrollers are demonstrated from experimental results. The robustness and the relative stability are presented and discussed. The experimental results of the optimal controller performance is presented and assessed. Comparison between the optimal controller and neurocontrollers is presented and discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fuzzy sliding mode control for a building structure based on genetic algorithms

Based on the genetic algorithms (GAs), a fuzzy sliding mode control (FSMC) method for the building structure is designed in this research. When a fuzzy logic control method is used for a structural system, it is hard to get proper control rules directly, and to guarantee the stability and robustness of the fuzzy control system. Generally, the fuzzy controller combined with sliding mode control is applied, but there is still no criterion to reach an optimal design of the FSMC. In this paper, therefore, we design a fuzzy sliding mode controller for the building structure control system as an optimization problem and apply the optimal searching algorithms and GAs to find the optimal rules and membership functions of the FSMC. The proposed approach has the merit to determine the optimal structure and the inference rules of fuzzy sliding mode controller simultaneously. It is found that the building structure under the proposed control method could sustain in safety and stability when the system is subjected to external disturbances. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Decentralized static output‐feedback H∞ controller design for buildings under seismic excitation

In this work, we present a new method in designing static output‐feedback H_∞ controllers suitable for vibrational control of buildings under seismic excitation. The method produces a Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) formulation that allows obtaining static output‐feedback controllers with different information structure constraints by imposing a convenient zero–nonzero structure on the LMI variables. The application of the proposed methodology is illustrated by designing centralized and decentralized velocity‐feedback H_∞ controllers to mitigate the seismic response of a five‐story building. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐objective optimal design of FLC driven hybrid mass damper for seismically excited structures

Structural vibration control using active or passive control strategy is a viable technology for enhancing structural functionality and safety against natural hazards such as strong earthquakes and high wind gusts. Both the active and passive control systems have their limitations. The passive control system has limited capability to control the structural response whereas the active control system depends on external power. The power requirement for active control of civil engineering structures is usually quite high. Thus, a hybrid control system is a viable solution to alleviate some of the limitations. In this paper a multi‐objective optimal design of a hybrid control system for seismically excited building structures has been proposed. A tuned mass damper (TMD) and an active mass driver (AMD) have been used as the passive and active control components of the hybrid control system, respectively. A fuzzy logic controller (FLC) has been used to drive the AMD as the FLC has inherent robustness and ability to handle the non‐linearities and uncertainties. The genetic algorithm has been used for the optimization of the control system. Peak acceleration and displacement responses non‐dimensionalized with respect to the uncontrolled peak acceleration and displacement responses, respectively, have been used as the two objectives of the multi‐objective optimization problem. The proposed design approach for an optimum hybrid mass damper (HMD) system, driven by FLC has been demonstrated with the help of a numerical example. It is shown that the optimum values of the design parameters of the hybrid control system can be determined without specifying the modes to be controlled. The proposed FLC driven HMD has been found to be very effective for vibration control of seismically excited buildings in comparison with the available results for the same example structure but with a different optimal absorber. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of yielding metallic and friction dampers for optimal seismic performance

This paper deals with the optimal design of yielding metallic dampers and friction dampers together as they both have similar design characteristics and parameters. Ample tests and analytical studies have confirmed the effectiveness of these energy dissipation devices for seismic response control and protection of building structures. Since these devices are strongly non‐linear with several parameters controlling their behaviour, their current design procedures are usually cumbersome and not optimal. In this paper, a methodology is presented to determine the optimal design parameters for the devices installed at different locations in a building for a desired performance objective. For a yielding metallic damper, the design parameters of interest are the device yield level, device stiffness, and brace stiffness. For a friction device, the parameters are the slip load level and brace stiffness. Since the devices and the structures installed with these devices behave in a highly non‐linearly manner, and thus must be evaluated by a step‐by‐step time history approach, the genetic algorithm is used to obtain the globally optimal solution. This optimal search approach allows an unusual flexibility in the choice of performance objectives. For demonstration purposes, several sets of numerical examples of optimal damper designs with different performance objectives are presented. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An active mass damper designed using ARX models of a building structure

This study proposes a new design method for an active mass damper (AMD) that is based on auto‐regressive exogenous models of a building structure. The proposed method uses the results of system identification in the field of active structural control. The uncontrolled structure is identified as auto‐regressive exogenous models via measurements under earthquake excitation and forced vibration. These models are linked with an equation of motion for the AMD to introduce a state equation and output equation for the AMD–structure interaction system in the discrete‐time space; the equations apply modern control theories to the AMD design. In the numerical applications of a 10‐degree‐of‐freedom building structure, linear quadratic regulator control is used to understand the fundamental characteristics of the proposed design procedure. The feedback control law requires the AMD's acceleration, velocity and stroke; the structure's acceleration; and the ground acceleration as vibration measurements. The numerical examples confirm the high applicability and control effectiveness of the proposed method. One remarkable advantage of the proposed method is that an equation of motion for the structure becomes unnecessary for designing controllers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimal PD/PID control of smart base isolated buildings equipped with piezoelectric friction dampers

Long-period pulses in near-field earthquakes lead to large displacements in the base of isolated structures.To dissipate energy in isolated structures using semi-active control,piezoelectric friction dampers(PFD) can be employed.The performance of a PFD is highly dependent on the strategy applied to adjust its contact force.In this paper,the seismic control of a benchmark isolated building equipped with PFD using PD/PID controllers is developed.Using genetic algorithms,these controllers are optimized to create a balance between the performance and robustness of the closed-loop structural system.One advantage of this technique is that the controller forces can easily be estimated.In addition,the structure is equipped with only a single sensor at the base floor to measure the base displacement.Considering seven pairs of earthquakes and nine performance indices,the performance of the closed-loop system is evaluated.Then,the results are compared with those given by two well-known methods:the maximum possive operation of piezoelectric friction dampers and LQG controllers.The simulation results show that the proposed controllers perform better than the others in terms of simultaneous reduction of floor acceleration and maximum displacement of the isolator.Moreover,they are able to reduce the displacement of the isolator systems for different earthquakes without losing the advantages of isolation.     

Performance‐based design using structural optimization

A new methodology for seismic design is proposed based on structural optimization with performance‐based constraints. Performance‐based criteria are introduced for the seismic design of new buildings. These criteria are derived from the National Guidelines for Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings (Reference [19], Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), ‘NHERP Guidelines for seismic rehabilitation of buildings’, Report Nos 273 and 274, Washington, DC, 1997) for retrofitting existing structures. The proposed design methodology takes into account the non‐linear behaviour of the structure. The goal is to incorporate in the design the actual performance levels of the structure, i.e. how much reserve capacity the structure has in an earthquake of a given magnitude. The optimal design of the structure minimizes the structural cost subjected to performance constraints on plastic rotations of beams and columns, as well as behavioural constraints for reinforced concrete frames. Uncertainties in the structural period and in the earthquake excitation are taken into account using convex models. The optimization routine incorporates a non‐linear analysis program and the procedure is automated. The proposed methodology leads to a structural design for which the levels of reliability (performance levels) are assumed to be quantifiable. Furthermore, the entire behaviour of the structure well into the non‐linear range is investigated in the design process. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effective force testing using a robust loop shaping controller

Effective force testing (EFT) is one of the force‐based experimental methods used for performance evaluation of structures that incorporate dynamic force control using hydraulic actuators. Although previous studies have shown successful implementations of force control, controllable frequency ranges are limited to low frequencies (10 Hz). This study presents the EFT method using a robust loop shaping force feedback controller that can extend the frequency range up to 25 Hz or even higher. Unlike the conventional PID controllers, loop shaping controllers can provide robustness for a high level of force measurement noise. This study investigates the dynamic properties of hydraulic actuators and the design of a loop shaping controller that compensates for control–structure interaction and suppresses the effect of oil‐column resonance. The designed loop shaping controller was successfully implemented into an EFT setup at the Johns Hopkins University. An experimental investigation of the loop shaping controller was performed under step, random, and earthquake force loadings. Experimental results showed that the loop shaping controller provided excellent force tracking performance and robustness for dynamic force loadings. It was also shown that the loop shaping controller had the gain margin of 9.54 dB at the frequency of 28 Hz. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimal seismic design of steel frame buildings based on life cycle cost considerations

A multi‐objective optimization procedure is presented for designing steel moment resisting frame buildings within a performance‐based seismic design framework. Life cycle costs are considered by treating the initial material costs and lifetime seismic damage costs as two separate objectives. Practical design/construction complexity, important but difficult to be included in initial cost analysis, is taken into due account by a proposed diversity index as another objective. Structural members are selected from a database of commercially available wide flange steel sections. Current seismic design criteria (AISC‐LRFD seismic provisions and 1997 NEHRP provisions) are used to check the validity of any design alternative. Seismic performance, in terms of the maximum inter‐storey drift ratio, of a code‐verified design is evaluated using an equivalent single‐degree‐of‐freedom system obtained through a static pushover analysis of the original multi‐degree‐of‐freedom frame building. A simple genetic algorithm code is used to find a Pareto optimal design set. A numerical example of designing a five‐storey perimeter steel frame building is provided using the proposed procedure. It is found that a wide range of valid design alternatives exists, from which a decision maker selects the one that balances different objectives in the most preferred way. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimized earthquake response of multi‐storey buildings with seismic isolation at various elevations

The response of multi‐storey structures can be controlled under earthquake actions by installing seismic isolators at various storey levels. By vertically distributing isolation devices at various elevations, the designer is provided with numerous options to appropriately adjust the seismic performance of a building. However, introducing seismic isolators at various storey levels is not a straightforward task, as it may lead to favourable or unfavourable structural behaviour depending on a large number of factors. As a consequence, a rather chaotic decision space of seismic isolation configurations arises, within which a favourable solution needs to be located. The search for favourable isolators' configurations is formulated in this work as a single‐objective optimization task. The aim of the optimization process is to minimize the maximum floor acceleration of the building under consideration, while constraints are specified to control the maximum interstorey drift, the maximum base displacement and the total seismic isolation cost. A genetic algorithm is implemented to perform this optimization task, which selectively introduces seismic isolators at various elevations, in order to identify the optimal configuration for the isolators satisfying the pre‐specified constraints. This way, optimized earthquake response of multi‐storey buildings can be obtained. The effectiveness of the proposed optimization procedure in the design of a seismically isolated structure is demonstrated in a numerical study using time‐history analyses of a typical six‐storey building. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional vibration control of high‐tech facilities against earthquakes and microvibration using hybrid platform

High‐tech equipments engaged in the production of ultra‐precision products have very stringent vibration criteria for their functionality in normal operation conditions and their safety during an earthquake. Most previous investigations were based on simplified planar models of building structures, despite the fact that real ground motions and structures are always three‐dimensional. This paper hence presents a three‐dimensional analytical study of a hybrid platform on which high‐tech equipments are mounted for their vibration mitigation. The design methodology of the hybrid platform proposed in this study is based on dual‐level performance objectives for high‐tech equipments: safety against seismic hazard and functionality against traffic‐induced microvibration. The passive devices (represented by springs and viscous dampers) and the active actuators are designed, respectively, to meet vibration criteria corresponding to safety level and functionality level. A prototype three‐story building with high‐tech equipments installed on the second floor is selected in the case study to evaluate the effectiveness of the hybrid platform. The optimal location of the platform on the second building floor is determined during the design procedure in terms of the minimal H ₂ cost function of absolute velocity response. The simulation of the coupled actuator‐platform‐building system subjected to three‐dimensional ground motions indicates that the optimally designed hybrid platform can well achieve the dual target performance and effectively mitigate vibration at both ground motion levels. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fuzzy control of piezoelectric friction dampers for seismic protection of smart base isolated buildings

This study proposes two fuzzy logic controllers (FLCs) for operating control force of piezoelectric friction dampers used for seismic protection of base-isolated buildings against various types of earthquake excitations. The first controller employs a hierarchic control strategy in which a higher-level supervisory controller operates a single sub-level FLC by modifying its input normalization factors in order to determine command voltage of the damper according to current level of ground motion. The second controller is a self organizing FLC that employs genetic algorithms in order to build a knowledge base for the fuzzy controller. Numerical simulations of a base-isolated building are conducted to evaluate the performance of the controllers. For comparison purposes, an optimal controller is also developed and considered in the simulations together with maximum passive operation of the friction damper. Results for several historical ground motions show that developed fuzzy logic controllers can effectively reduce isolation system deformations without the loss of potential advantages of seismic base isolation.     

压电材料智能力矩控制器对具有不确定参数升船结构顶部厂房地震反应的鲁棒控制

文中建立了压电材料智能力矩控制器对具有不确定参数升船结构顶部厂房地震反应鲁棒控制的设计计算方法，并对中国某升船结构的等效结构体系进行了仿真分析。计算结果表明，智能力矩控制器能有效地减小顶部厂房的鞭梢效应。在考虑顶部厂房因端部山墙引起的侧移刚度不确定性的条件下，智能力矩鲁棒控制器的控制效果和稳定性要优于常规的主动控制器。     

Optimal design of tuned mass dampers for a multi‐storey cross laminated timber building against seismic loads

In this paper, the effectiveness of different design solutions for tuned mass dampers (TMD) applied to high‐rise cross‐laminated (X‐Lam) timber buildings as a means to reduce the seismic accelerations was investigated. A seven‐storey full‐scale structure previously tested on shaking table was used as a reference. The optimal design parameters of the TMDs, i.e. damping and frequency ratios, were determined by using a genetic algorithm on a simplified model of the reference structure, composed by seven masses each representing one storey. The optimal solutions for the TMDs were then applied to a detailed finite element model of the seven‐storey building, where the timber panels were modelled with shell elements and the steel connectors with linear spring. By comparing the numerical results of the building with and without multiple TMDs, the improvement in seismic response was assessed. Dynamic time‐history analyses were carried out for a set of seven natural records, selected in accordance with Eurocode 8, on the simplified model, and for Kobe earthquake ground motion on the detailed model. Results in terms of acceleration reduction for different TMD configurations show that the behaviour of the seven‐storey timber building can be significantly improved, especially at the upper storeys. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimal design of passive energy dissipation systems based on H∞ and H2 performances

Passive energy dissipation devices (EDDs), such as viscous dampers, viscoelastic dampers, etc., have been used to effectively reduce the dynamic response of civil infrastructures, such as buildings and bridges, subject to earthquakes and strong winds. The design of these passive energy dissipation devices (EDDs) involves the determination of the optimal locations and the corresponding capacities. In this paper, we present two optimal design methodologies for passive EDDs based on active control theories, including H_∞ and H₂ performances, respectively. The optimal design methodologies presented are capable of determining the optimal locations and the corresponding capacities of EDDs. Emphasis is placed on the application of linear matrix inequality (LMI) for the effective design of passive EDDs using the popular MATLAB toolboxes. One important advantage of the proposed approaches is that the computation of the structural response is not needed in the design process. The proposed optimal design methodologies have been applied to: (i) a 10‐storey building and a 24‐storey building both subject to earthquake excitations, and (ii) a 76‐storey wind‐excited benchmark building, to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed design methodologies over the conventional equal capacity design. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of dampers for structures based on optimal control theory

The aim of this paper was to propose a design guideline for using visco‐elastic dampers for the control of building structures subjected to earthquake loading as well as suspension roof structures subjected to wind loading. The active control algorithm was used to calculate the control forces. Based on the single‐mode approach the control forces were transformed to the forces which visco‐elastic dampers can provide. Application of the method to the design of the building structure with passive damping devices in the bracing system and to the suspension roof with dampers was studied. Through the application of optimal control theory a systematic design procedure to implement dampers in structures is proposed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of high‐performance shake tables using the hierarchical control strategy and nonlinear control techniques

Conventional shake tables employ linear controllers such as proportional‐integral‐derivative or loop shaping to regulate the movement. However, it is difficult to tune a linear controller to achieve accurate and robust tracking of different reference signals under payloads. The challenges are mainly due to the nonlinearity in hydraulic actuator dynamics and specimen behavior. Moreover, tracking a high‐frequency reference signal using a linear controller tends to cause actuator saturation and instability. In this paper, a hierarchical control strategy is proposed to develop a high‐performance shake table. A unidirectional shake table is constructed at the University of British Columbia to implement and evaluate the proposed control framework, which consists of a high‐level controller and one or multiple low‐level controller(s). The high‐level controller utilizes the sliding mode control (SMC) technique to provide robustness to compensate for model nonlinearity and uncertainties experienced in experimental tests. The performance of the proposed controller is compared with a state‐of‐the‐art loop‐shaping displacement‐based controller. The experimental results show that the proposed hierarchical shake table control system with SMC can provide superior displacement, velocity and acceleration tracking performance and improved robustness against modeling uncertainty and nonlinearities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.