Journal of Engineering and Architecture

Effectiveness of Tuned Mass Dampers in Mitigating Earthquake Ground Motions in Low and Medium Rise Buildings
Zixiang Zhou , Husam Najm, Rosa Vasconez

Abstract
Tuned mass dampers (TMD’s) are passive energy devices used to reduce undesired vibrations in a number of structures or structural components such as industrial buildings, floor systems, and others. There have been few studies on the effectiveness of TMD’s in reducing earthquake effects in low rise and medium rise buildings. This paper investigates the effectiveness of tuned mass dampers on the response of low rise and medium rise buildings under earthquake ground motions. Numerical integration methods were used to solve the systems of coupled equations of motion. Response parameters include roof displacements, base shears, and story drifts. Results from this analysis showed that the TMD can be effective in reducing drifts and base shears in low and medium rise buildings. The reduction was dependent on the TMD properties and location and optimum properties of the damper. A reduction of about 30% was observed in roof displacements for a mass ratio of 10% of the modal mass. A 25% reduction in base shear was also observed for certain cases despite the overall increase of mass of the system. However, this reduction should be interpreted taking into consideration the magnitude of drifts and base shears to justify the use of TMD’s

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jea.v4n2a2