Active-Control and Forced-Vibration Studies on Highway Bridge

Abstract

A full-scale, active, structural vibration-control system was successfully implemented and tested on an 80-m (250 ft) span, steel-truss highway bridge. More than 90% reduction in global mode response was achieved during testing using random, sinusoidal, and step-release disturbance excitations. Control performance was maintained in the presence of large changes in the dynamic characteristics of the structure due to environmental effects. This study demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of a new approach to active structural vibration-control–adaptive modal filter (AMF) based independent modal space control (IMSC). This work identified and explored many of the practical problems that must be addressed for commercial control installations on civil facilities to be viable.