Use of active mass dampers for wind and seismic control on super-high-rise buildings

Active mass dampers applied to an 85-story high-rise building are investigated in this study. The building was originally designed with an interstory drift ratio under design wind loads of up to 0.004. Stiffening the building through filling the steel box columns with concrete was proposed. However as shown by analysis, the reduction of interstory drift was restricted still within inadmissible range. Active mass dampers were then proposed as an alternative solution. Dampers by two different manufacturers were used, the two systems employing similar mechanisms. Analytical results indicate that both displacement and acceleration of the building are significantly reduced by the incorporation of active mass dampers, however the lack of a reliable backup power system is a major concern. Also, effective control of the structural responses caused by a severe earthquake may still requires further studies.