Hybrid Control of Seismic Structures with Optimal Placement of Control Devices

Abstract

A theoretical study is carried out for optimal controller placement and effectiveness of a hybrid seismic response control system comprising a viscous fluid damper and a servovalve-controlled hydraulic actuator. A stochastic seismic response of controlled structures is first investigated with nonorthogonal damping and stiffness; then a statistical method for optimal placement of control devices on seismic-resistant structures is developed. With such placement, a hybrid system can achieve greater performance in that much less control force is required to reduce structural seismic response to a given level. This study also shows the hybrid system is superior to both active and passive control systems in control capacity. Numerical simulation for the seismic response of a building structure is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.