Development and Experimental Study of Semi-Active Fluid Damping Devices for Seismic Protection of Structures

Abstract

This report describes the development and testing of semi-active fluid damping devices for the control of structures subjected to seismic excitation. The semi-active dampers operate on the principle of fluid orificing and have mechanical properties which are controllable through modulation of fluid flow within the device. The experimental testing and analytical modeling of two different semi-active fluid damping devices is described. Furthermore, shaking table tests have been performed on a one-story and three-story model structure both with and without the semi-active damping system. The effectiveness of various control algorithms and time delay compensation methods is discussed. Analytical predictions of the shaking table test results are presented and shown to compare reasonably well with the experiments. It is concluded that, for the tested control algorithms, the semi-active control system afforded a substantial reduction of response in comparison to the response without the control system.<BR>