Vibration control of buildings by using partial floor loads as multiple tuned mass dampers

Abstract

Tuned mass dampers (TMDs) are considered as the most common control devices used for protecting high-rise buildings from vibrations. Because of their simplicity and efficiency, they have found wide practical applications in high-rise buildings around the world. This paper proposes an innovative technique for using partial floor loads as multiple TMDs at limited number of floors. This technique eliminates complications resulting from the addition of huge masses required for response control and maintains the mass of the original structure without any added loads. The effects of using partial loads of limited floors starting from the top as TMDs on the vibration response of buildings to wind and earthquakes are investigated. The effects of applying the proposed technique to buildings with different heights and characteristics are also investigated. A parametric study is carried out to illustrate how the behavior of a building is affected by the number of stories and the portion of the floor utilized as TMDs. Results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed control technique in enhancing the drift, acceleration, and force response of buildings to wind and earthquakes. The response of buildings to wind and earthquakes was observed to be more enhanced by increasing the story-mass ratios and the number of floor utilized as TMDs.