Effects of tuned liquid dampers on the nonlinear seismic responses of high-rise structures using real-time hybrid simulations

Abstract

Tuned liquid dampers (TLDs) are effective passive-control devices used to suppress wind-induced vibrations and the seismic responses of high-rise structures. However, investigations on the effects of TLDs on nonlinear structural responses are limited; thus, this study explored the influence of a TLD on the nonlinear seismic response of a high-rise structure based on a real-time hybrid simulation. The effects of the TLD on the nonlinear seismic response were evaluated in terms of the characteristics of seismic excitations, the TLD mass ratio, and the structural damping ratio. The experimental results revealed that the TLD was helpful in reducing hysteretic energy dissipation of the controlled structure. Moreover, when the structure entered the nonlinear state, the damping frequency band of the TLD became narrower, aggravating the effect of the TLD on structural damping relative to that in the linear case. Meanwhile, the results also indicated that structural nonlinearity could increase the possibility of adverse effects on the structural dynamic response.