• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.72 no.6
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• pp.747-762
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• 2019

Based on the ball-screw mechanism, a tuned viscous mass damper (TVMD) has been proposed, which has functions of amplifying physical mass of the system and frequency tuning. Considering the sensitivity of a single TVMD's effectiveness to frequency mistuning like that of the conventional tuned mass damper (TMD) and according to the concept of the conventional multiple tuned mass damper (MTMD), in the present paper, multiple tuned mass viscous dampers (MTVMD) consisting of many tuned mass dampers (TVMD) with a uniform distribution of natural frequencies are considered for attenuating undesirable vibration of a structure. The MTVMD is manufactured by keeping the stiffness and damping constant and varying the mass associated with the lead of the ball-screw type inerter element in the damper. The structure is represented by its mode-generalized system in a specific vibration mode controlled using the mode reduced-order method. Modal properties and fundamental characteristics of the MTVMD-structure system are investigated analytically with the parameters, i.e., the frequency band, the average damping ratio, the tuning frequency ratio, the total number of TVMD and the total mass ratio. It is found that there exists an optimum set of the parameters that makes the frequency response curve of the structure flattened with smaller amplitudes in a wider input frequency range. The effectiveness and robustness of the MTVMD are also discussed in comparison with those of the usual single TVMD (STVMD) and the results shows that the MTVMD is more effective and robust with the same level of total mass.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2017

An effective design approach for Multiple Tuned Mass Dampers (MTMDs) in pedestrian bridges was proposed by utilizing the transfer function to obtain each TMD's optimum stiffness and damping. A systematic simulation of pedestrian excitations was described. The motion equation of a typical MTMD system attached to a Multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) system was presented, and the transfer function from the input pedestrian excitations to the output acceleration responses was defined. By solving the minimum norm of the transfer function, the parameters of the MTMD which resulted in the minimum overall responses can be obtained. Two applications of lightly damped pedestrian bridges attached with MTMD showed that MTMDs designed through this method can significantly reduce the structural responses when subjected to pedestrian excitations, and the vibration control effects were better than the MTMD when it was considered as being composed of equal number and mass ratios of TMDs designed by classical Den Hartog method.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.497-509
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• 1995

Effectiveness of multiple tuned mass dampers (MTMD) in suppressing the dynamic response of base excited structure for first mode vibration is investigated. The effectiveness of the MTMD is expressed by the ratio of the root mean square (RMS) displacement of the structure with MTMD to corresponding displacement without MTMD. The frequency content of base excitation is modelled as a broad-band stationary random process. The MTMD's with uniformly distributed natural frequencies are considered for this purpose. A parametric study is conducted to investigate the fundamental characteristics of the MTMD's and the effect of important parameters on the effectiveness of the MTMD's. The parameters include: the fundamental characteristics of the MTMD system such as damping, mass ratio, total number of MTMD, tuning frequency ratio, frequency spacing of the dampers and frequency content of the base excitation. It has been shown that MTMD can be more effective and more robust than a single TMD with equal mass and damping ratio.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.537-549
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• 2017

One of the main concerns of civil engineering researchers is developing or modifying an energy dissipation system that can effectively control structural vibrations, and keep the structural response within tolerable limits during unpredictable events like earthquakes, wind and any kind of thrust load. This article proposes a new type of mass damper system for controlling wideband earthquake vibrations, called Multiple Wall Dampers (MWD). The basic principle of the Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) was used to design the proposed wall damper system. This passive energy dissipation system does not require additional mass for the damping system because the boundary wall mass of the building was used as a damper mass. The multi-mode approach was applied to determine the location and design parameters of the dampers. The dampers were installed based on the maximum amplitude of modes. To optimize the damper parameters, the multi-objective optimization Response Surface Methodology was used, with frequency response and maximum displacement as the objective functions. The obtained structural responses under different earthquake forces demonstrated that the MWD is one of the most capable tools for reducing the responses of multi-storied buildings, and this system can be practically used for new and existing building structures.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.545-558
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• 2020

A design method of a Multiple Tuned Mass Damper (MTMD) system is presented for wind induced vibration control of a cable-supported roof structure. Modal contribution analysis is carried out to determine the dominating modes of the structure for the MTMD design. Two MTMD systems are developed for two most dominating modes. Each MTMD system is composed of multiple TMDs with small masses spread at multiple locations with large responses in the corresponding mode. Frequencies of TMDs are distributed uniformly within a range around the dominating frequencies of the roof structure to enhance the robustness of the MTMD system against uncertainties of structural frequencies. Parameter optimizations are carried out by minimizing objective functions regarding the structural responses, TMD strokes, robustness and mass cost. Two optimization approaches are used: Single Objective Approach (SOA) using Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) with multi-start method and Multi-Objective Approach (MOA) using Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II). The computation efficiency of the MOA is found to be superior to the SOA with consistent optimization results. A Pareto optimal front is obtained regarding the control performance and the total weight of the TMDs, from which several specific design options are proposed. The final design may be selected based on the Pareto optimal front and other engineering factors.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.77-93
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• 1998

Some design formulas and design procedures for single and multiple tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) are proposed in this study. Previous studies show that if the properties of the TLCD system are properly selected then the TLCD could be as effective as the traditional tuned mass dampers. In addition, the TLCD system offers advantages such as flexibility in terms of installation, little maintenance required, and potentials for multiple usage, etc., which are incomparable by other mechanical types of dampers. In this paper, a set of optimal properties such as length and head loss of a TLCD system are derived under the assumption that the building vibrates in a dominate mode and is subjected to Gaussian white noise excitation. A design procedure for a single TLCD system will be illustrated and discussed. Due to the nonlinearity in the damping term, the TLCD system is sensitive to the loading intensity. This loading sensitivity could limit the application range of the TLCD system. It will be shown in this paper that such a nonlinear effect can be reduced by using multiple TLCDs. As a demonstrative example, the control effects on a flexible building modeled as a single degree-of-freedom system subjected to white noise excitation will be analyzed and discussed using single or multiple TLCDs.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.1071-1091
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• 2014

Pounding of adjacent structures are always a notable reason for damages after strong ground motions, but it is already unforeseen detail in newly constructed structures. Thus, several approaches have been proposed in order to prevent the pounding of structures. By using optimally tuned mass dampers, it is possible to decrease the displacement vibrations of structures. But in adjacent structures, the response of both structures must be considered in the objective function of optimization process. In this paper, two different designs of Tuned Mass Dampers (TMD) are investigated. The first design covers independent TMDs on both structures. In the second design, adjacent structures are coupled by a TMD on the top of the structures. Optimum TMD parameters are found by using the developed optimization methodology employing harmony search algorithm. The proposed method is presented with single degree of freedom and multiple degree of freedom structures. Results show that the coupled design is not effective on multiple degree of freedom adjacent structures. The coupled design is only effective for rigid structures with a single degree of freedom while the use of independent TMDs are effective on both rigid and flexural structures.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.424-431
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• 2006

Many types of tuned mass dampers (TMDs), such as active TMDs, multiple TMDs, hybrid TMDs etc., have been studied to effectively reduce the dynamic responses of a structure subjected to various types of dynamic loads. In this study, we replace a passive damper by a semi-active tuned mass damper to improve the control performance of conventional TMDs (STMD). An idealized variable damping device is used as semi-active dampers. These semi-active dampers can change the properties of TMDs in real time based on the dynamic responses of a structure. The control performance of STMD is investigated with respect to various types of excitation by numerical simulation. Groundhook control algorithm is used to appropriately modulate the damping force of semi-active dampers. The control effectiveness between STMD and a conventional passive TMD, both under harmonic and random excitations, is evaluated and compared for a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structure. Excitations are applied to the structure as a dynamic force and ground motion, respectively. The numerical studies showed that the control effectiveness of STMD is significantly superior to that of the passive TMD, regardless of the type of excitations.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.505-530
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• 2008

This paper proposes the application of active multiple tuned mass dampers (AMTMD) for translational and torsional response control of a simplified two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) structure, able to represent the dynamic characteristics of general asymmetric structures, under the ground acceleration. This 2DOF structure is a generalized 2DOF system of an asymmetric structure with predominant translational and torsional responses under earthquake excitations using the mode reduced-order method. Depending on the ratio of the torsional to the translational eigenfrequency, i.e. the torsional to translational frequency ratio (TTFR), of asymmetric structures, the following three cases can be distinguished: (1) torsionally flexible structures (TTFR < 1.0), (2) torsionally intermediate stiff structures (TTFR = 1.0), and (3) torsionally stiff structures (TTFR > 1.0). The even distribution of the AMTMD within the whole width and half width of the asymmetric structure, thus leading to three cases of installing the AMTMD (referred to as the AMTMD of case 1, AMTMD of case 2, AMTMD of case 3, respectively), is taken into account. In the present study, the criterion for searching the optimum parameters of the AMTMD is defined as the minimization of the minimum values of the maximum translational and torsional displacement dynamic magnification factors (DMF) of an asymmetric structure with the AMTMD. The criterion used for assessing the effectiveness of the AMTMD is selected as the ratio of the minimization of the minimum values of the maximum translational and torsional displacement DMF of the asymmetric structure with the AMTMD to the maximum translational and torsional displacement DMF of the asymmetric structure without the AMTMD. By resorting to these two criteria, a careful examination of the effects of the normalized eccentricity ratio (NER) on the effectiveness and robustness of the AMTMD are carried out in the mitigation of both the translational and torsional responses of the asymmetric structure. Likewise, the effectiveness of a single ATMD with the optimum positions is presented and compared with that of the AMTMD.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.247-258
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• 2023

Multiple pounding tuned rolling mass damper (MPTRMD) distributed in the cavity of voided slabs is proposed to passively control multi-story frame structures, which disperses the mass of the oscillator to multiple dampers so that the control device can be miniaturized without affecting the vibration control performance. The mechanism and the differential motion equations of the MPTRMD-controlled multi-degree-of-freedom system are derived based on the Lagrange principle. Afterward, this advanced RMD is applied to a simplified 20-floor steel frame to evaluate the seismic control performance in the numerical analysis. A four-storey frame structure equipped with MPTRMD is then taken for a shaking table test to verify its effectiveness of control performance. The pounding mechanism has been detailed studied numerically and experimentally as well. The numerical and experimental results show that the proposed damper is practically promising not only for its prominent control performance but also for its lightweight and space-saving. Additionally, the pounding mechanism influenced by the variable impact parameters exhibits a balance between the two effects of motional limitations and energy dissipation.