Passive control of seismic response of soil-structure system by the compliant liquid column damper

This paper studies the seismic vibration control of flexible-base short period structures by the compliant liquid column damper (CLCD). The input-output relation of the CLCD-structure-soil system is formulated in the frequency-domain. A numerical stochastic study with varying degrees of soil-structure interaction (SSI) and for different tuning conditions indicates that tuning to the flexible-base structural frequency is essential for effective damper performance. The effects of SSI on the sensitivity of damper performance to the tuning ratio and on the optimal value of the orifice damping coefficient have also been examined. Finally, the practical design of the CLCD for an example five-storied building, founded on soft clay and subjected to a recorded accelerogram, has been carried out. It has been found that it is possible to obtain a feasible configuration of the damper that will cater for the proper tuning and orifice damping parameters to provide substantial response reduction.