Bidirectional pendulum-type tuned mass damper inerter for synchronously controlling the alongwind and crosswind responses of super-tall buildings

Abstract

In the context of slender super-tall buildings, which have a high height-to-width ratio and low damping, significant bidirectional vibrations can occur under strong winds. Traditional TMDI device is mainly focused on controlling unidirectional wind-induced vibration responses. To address this issue, the present study introduces a bidirectional pendulum-type tuned mass damper inerter (BPTMDI) designed to synchronously mitigate alongwind and crosswind responses. The study derives nonlinear equations of motion for a multiple degrees of freedom (MDOF) structure integrated with the BPTMDI, using the Euler-Lagrange method. These equations capture the three-dimensional motion characteristics of the BPTMDI. Additionally, linear equations of motion are derived for a simplified planar model. The time-domain responses of the MDOF structure coupled with the BPTMDI are calculated by dividing the system into linear and nonlinear subsystems and applying the state space method and Runge-Kutta method, respectively. The effectiveness of the BPTMDI is evaluated through time history response analysis of a 400 m tall case-study building subjected to bidirectional wind loadings. Results show that the BPTMDI can significantly reduce both alongwind and crosswind responses, with reductions of at least 29.75 % in displacement and 48.64 % in acceleration, regardless of wind direction. Furthermore, the BPTMDI demonstrates improved control efficacy compared to BPTMD systems. Lastly, the simplified planar model of the BPTMDI shows basic similarity to the nonlinear planar-spherical model.