Implementation of an Active Mass Damper for Seismic Vibration Control of a Plane Frame Physical Model

Abstract

This paper describes the work developed for the laboratorial implementation of an Active Mass Damper (AMD) to reduce the levels of vibration of a plane frame physical model excited by several kinds of loads, in particular seismic loads. For this purpose, two active control systems were developed. The first one is integrated in the functioning of a small shaking table which requires an active control system to apply different sets of predefined loads to the model. The other active control system commands the AMD installed on the top of the model. Several parametric studies were performed to evaluate the real effectiveness of the proposed control system to reduce structural vibrations. This experience, although quite simple, fits in an initial work in the area of structural control, in line with some previous experiences already carried out at the Laboratory of Vibrations and Structural Monitoring (www.fe.up.pt/vibest) of the Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto.