Shaking table tests of a plate-column structure with semi-active tuned mass damper

This paper presents selected results of experimental tests carried out on the three-storey plate-column structure, which is a physical model of a building. On the top floor the semi-active tuned mass damper (STMD) is installed. That device is a kind of harmonic oscillator with a variable stiffness characteristic. The tuning of STMD is possible in the frequency range from 0 to 5 Hz, which allows to counteract the resonant vibration of plate-column structure for the three basic frequencies. The model's vibration are kinematically excited by using the earthquake simulator. It is assumed that during an experimental tests the plate-column structure's vibration are only excited by horizontal component of base motion (dominant influence on building's vibration). The aim of the experimental analysis presented in this paper is to verify the effectiveness of the semi-active tuned mass damper in vibration's amplitude reduction of the main structure. The tested device is prototype of STMD, which uses a competitive constructional solution of stiffness parameter control. By reason of above, special attention is focused on the testing of vibration eliminator in two aspects: change of stiffness characteristic (the rate of change), and the accuracy of tuning to the resonant frequencies. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)