Adaptive base-isolation of civil structures using variable amplification

Abstract

Semi-active dampers are used in base-isolation to reduce the seismic response of civil engineering structures. In the present study, a new semi-active damping system using variable amplification will be investigated for adaptive base-isolation. It uses a novel variable amplification device (VAD) connected in series with a passive damper. The VAD is capable of producing multiple amplification factors, each corresponding to a different amplification state. Forces from the damper are amplified to the structure according to the current amplification state, which is selected via a semi-active control algorithm specifically tailored to the system’s unique damping characteristics. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the VAD-damper system for adaptive base-isolation, numerical simulations are conducted for three and seven-story base-isolated buildings subject to both far and near-field ground motions. The results indicate that the system can achieve significant reductions in response compared to the base-isolated buildings with no damper. The proposed system is also found to perform well compared to a typical semi-active damper.