| Abstract: | A control method is presented for reducing the dynamic response of structures in the inelastic material range using a control force from an active bracing system. Recent full-scale experiments have verified the feasibility of implementing active control systems for control of seismic structures with existing technology. The proposed method of continuous pulse control uses closed-loop feedback control as a combination of two algorithms. The first is the instantaneous optimal algorithm which was derived assuming linear material behaviour, and the second is pulse control which applies a corrective pulse when a prespecified structural displacement, velocity, or acceleration threshold is exceeded. The three criteria of displacement, velocity, and acceleration lead to three pulse control schemes. Each of the three schemes is used in conjunction with the instantaneous optimal control to yield three continuous pulse algorithms, the displacement continuous pulse, velocity continuous pulse and acceleration continuous pulse. Comparisons between the three continuous pulse algorithms and the pulse control for seismic structures in the inelastic range show that the continuous pulse algorithms use less control energy and reduce the response better than pulse control. A comparison between the velocity continuous pulse and the non-linear optimal algorithm shows that the velocity continuous pulse uses a larger control force but is more adaptable than the non-linear optimal algorithm, in the sense that it can reduce the response of a given structure to various probable earthquakes. The non-linear optimal algorithm is more effective than the velocity continuous pulse for a single specific earthquake but is not as effective for other earthquakes which may occur in the life of the structure. |
