Control of the seismic response of a composite tall building modelled by two interconnected shear beams

The possibility of controlling the seismic response of tall buildings by use of a structural system consisting of a stiff and lightly damped external structure and a very flexible and moderately damped internal structure connected by stiff links at a few elevations is explored. Optimal damping values for the internal structure are obtained by consideration of the response on the composite structure in the vicinity of its fundamental mode. The resulting optimal damping values depend on the relative stiffness of both structures. Numerical results in the frequency and time domain are used to illustrate the advantages of such a system for seismic excitation. The possibility of using flexible links between the internal and external structures to moderate the required reduction of stiffness in the internal structure is also explored. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.