Research on Structural Control at VIBEST / FEUP

Abstract

This paper describes the research work on the topic of Structural Control developed in the last years at the Civil Engineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto (FEUP), in the context of the research and consultancy activities performed at the Laboratory of Vibrations and Structural Monitoring (VIBEST). It is described the conception and the implementation of several control devices in structures, as well as some experimental tests in order to verify the real efficiency of the proposed control systems. It is covered a significant number of control techniques, including passive, active and semi-active systems and it is emphasized the advantages and drawbacks found in its application. The numerical and experimental studies involve not only laboratorial physical models with several degrees of complexity, but also some real structures using real control systems, with particular interest to the case of the control of vertical and lateral vibrations in footbridges.