Decentralized sliding mode control of a building using MR dampers

Abstract

This paper presents the structural control results of shaking table tests for a steel framestructure in order to evaluate the performance of a number of proposed semi-active controlalgorithms using multiple magnetorheological (MR) dampers. The test structure is asix-story steel frame equipped with MR dampers. Four different cases of damperarrangement in the structure are selected for the control study. In experimental tests, theEl Centro earthquake and Kobe earthquake ground motion data are used as excitations.Further, several decentralized sliding mode control algorithms are developed in this paperspecifically for applications of MR dampers in building structures. Various controlalgorithms are used for the semi-active control studies, including the proposeddecentralized sliding mode control (DSMC), LQR control, and passive-on andpassive-off control. Each control algorithm is formulated specifically for the use ofMR dampers installed in building structures. Additionally, each algorithm usesmeasurements of the device velocity and device drift for the determination of the controlaction to ensure that the algorithm can be implemented in a physical structure.The performance of each algorithm is evaluated based on the results of shakingtable tests, and the advantages of each algorithm are compared and discussed.The reduction of story drifts and floor accelerations throughout the structure isexamined.