Analysis on parameter optimization of dampers of long-span double-tower cable-stayed bridges

Viscous dampers have been widely used for seismic mitigation of long-span double-tower cable-stayed bridges, and the effectiveness of seismic mitigation of cable-stayed bridges depends on the selection of dampers. Parametric analyses are necessary to determine the parameters of the viscous dampers. To determine the optimal parameters effectively, response surface method is used to optimize dampers’ parameters in this paper. Full-bridge shaking table tests are conducted for verification of the calculating method presented. It can be concluded that the response surface method can satisfy the requirement for precision of optimization since simple algebraic formulae can be used to accurately fit the complicated relationship between design variables and response ones. This outcome not only simplifies the process of parameter analyses, but also overcomes the blindness of determining the optimal parameters. It is thus expected that the reported response surface method has great application potential for the preliminary design.