Energy sink outrigger control of a tall building under wind loads

Abstract

The ability of the nonlinear energy sink (NES) device to suppress unwanted wind-induced vibrations in a tall building is investigated in this paper. This controller is an additional energy dissipation embedded within the inner surface of the perimeter column and the end boundary of the outrigger. The Timoshenko theory based on partial differential equations is used to model the dynamic response of the core-tube type structure. The root-mean-square (RMS) response of the structure, defined as the objective function, is used to evaluate the optimal placement of the damped outrigger. Subsequently, a detailed algorithm is proposed to better understand the numerical selection procedure of the suitable location. The effectiveness of the NES on the dynamics of the structural system is investigated through a comprehensive parametric study and compared to a TMD (Tuned Mass Damper) system. According to the results, it is found that the use of appropriate intrinsic parameters of the NES device improves its dynamic response to a considerable level. The presence of this control device is beneficial for the mechanical system and can minimize more than 79 % of the effects of wind-induced vibrations at the top of the structure.