Vibration control of adjacent structures equipped with inerter-based dampers considering nonlinearities: Analytical and experimental studies

Inerter-based dampers (IBDs) have been demonstrated to be effective in reducing structural vibration due to the mass amplification and energy dissipation enhancement effects of inerters. However, previous studies adopted mostly an idealized linear inerter model, and the influences of inerter nonlinearities on the effectiveness of IBDs, especially in seismic-induced vibrations of adjacent structures, have yet to be fully studied. To address this research gap, a new nonlinear model is proposed to characterize the inerter nonlinearities, with the nonlinear parameters identified and validated through the mechanical performance tests. An analytical model is then established for the adjacent structures equipped with an inerter device, validating its accuracy by comparing results with shaking table tests. Finally, the influences of inerter nonlinearities on three classical IBDs, namely tuned inerter damper (TID), tuned viscous mass damper (TVMD), and spring dashpot inerter system (SDIS), in reducing the seismic responses of adjacent structures are systematically investigated. The experimental and analytical results demonstrate that inerter nonlinearities significantly affect the relative displacement between adjacent structures, and the friction is the dominant inerter nonlinearity, with the elastic effect being generally negligible. Furthermore, the influences of nonlinearities on TVMD and TID control effectiveness are contingent upon external excitations.