Control of wind-induced tall building vibration by tuned mass dampers

Wind tunnel model tests and theoretical analyses were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of tuned mass dampers in suppressing wind-induced tall building motion. The tall building model was a 1:400 scale aeroelastic model of the CAARC Standard Tall Building. This model and the tuned mass damper models of different parameters were designed and tested in a wind tunnel with properly simulated atmospheric boundary layer flow. The aeroelastic test of the CAARC model demonstrated the effectiveness of the tuned mass damper system in suppressing the dynamic response of the building. The parametric study of passive tuned mass dampers, leading to theoretical analysis and design of an effective and efficient tuned mass damper system, was based on excitation spectra which were directly measured from the wind tunnel model tests. Semi-analytical results were in good agreement with the test results. The analytical results further indicated that the effectiveness of tuned mass dampers can be enhanced by the inclusion of an active control system.