Multi-objective fuzzy control of smart base isolated spatial structure

Abstract

Base isolation systems are used widely to reduce the dynamic responses of structures subjected to a seismic load. Recently, research has been conducted actively on smart base isolation systems that can effectively reduce the dynamic responses of isolated structures without accompanying increases in the base drifts. On the other hand, control performance of smart base isolation systems for spatial structures has not attracted significant attention. This study examined the dynamic response reduction capacity of a smart base isolation system for a spatial structure subjected to seismic excitation. MR dampers and low damping elastomeric bearings were used to compose a smart base isolation system, and its vibration control performance was compared with that of the optimally-designed, lead-rubber bearing (LRB) isolation system. A fuzzy controller was used to effectively control the spatial structure with a smart base isolation system. The dynamic responses of the spatial structure with an isolation system conflicted with the base drift. Therefore, these two responses were selected as the objective functions to apply a multi-objective genetic algorithm to optimize a fuzzy controller. The numerical simulation results showed that the smart base isolation system proposed in this study can reduce drastically the base drifts and seismic responses of the example spatial structure compared to the optimally designed LRB isolation system.