Semi-active control of civil structures using magnetorheological dampers

Two semiactive control schemes for protecting structures against earthquakes using magnetorheological dampers as control devices are presented. The design of the schemes is based on the LuGre's dynamic friction model adapted to describe the behavior of dampers. Seismic attenuation with respect to the case of noncontrolled structures is demonstrated. Numerical simulation of a scaled structure under seismic excitation show very good performance.