Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy and Simple Adaptive Control Methods for Alleviating the Seismic Responses of Coupled Buildings with Semi-active Devices: Comparative Study

Abstract

This paper describes two adaptive control methods for mitigating the seismic responses of two connected buildings with MR dampers at different levels. First method developed in this study is the adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller which consists of a fuzzy logic controller provided with learning algorithm based on adaptive neural networks. The learning algorithm is implemented to modify the parameters of the fuzzy logic controller such that its outputs track the behavior of predetermined training data. Second method is the simple adaptive controller which falls into the category of model-following adaptive strategies. In this method, a plant is commanded to follow a well-designed reference-model with desirable trajectories through a closed loop action. The coupled system consists of two adjacent buildings having different heights in order to separate the model shapes of the individual buildings. Different types of feedbacks such as displacement, velocity, and acceleration are employed to identify their impacts on the performance of the developed adaptive controllers. Numerical analyses are carried out for the complex system assuming no change in the nominal design parameters and then for the system where a change in these parameters is introduced. The results reveal that using the adaptive controllers developed in this study to regulate the MR dampers connecting the two adjacent buildings can successfully alleviate the seismic responses under various types and intensities of earthquakes.