Optimization and application of multiple tuned mass dampers in the vibration control of pedestrian bridges

Zheng Lu, Xiaoyi Chen, Xiaowei Li and Peizhen Li

Abstract

An effective design approach for Multiple Tuned Mass Dampers (MTMDs) in pedestrian bridges was proposed by utilizing the transfer function to obtain each TMD\'s optimum stiffness and damping. A systematic simulation of pedestrian excitations was described. The motion equation of a typical MTMD system attached to a Multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) system was presented, and the transfer function from the input pedestrian excitations to the output acceleration responses was defined. By solving the minimum norm of the transfer function, the parameters of the MTMD which resulted in the minimum overall responses can be obtained. Two applications of lightly damped pedestrian bridges attached with MTMD showed that MTMDs designed through this method can significantly reduce the structural responses when subjected to pedestrian excitations, and the vibration control effects were better than the MTMD when it was considered as being composed of equal number and mass ratios of TMDs designed by classical Den Hartog method.

Key Words

multiple tuned mass dampers; pedestrian bridge; optimization design; vibration control; pedestrian excitation

Address

Zheng Lu, Peizhen Li: State Key Laboratory of Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Research Institute of Structural Engineering and Disaster Reduction, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China Xiaoyi Chen: Research Institute of Structural Engineering and Disaster Reduction, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China Xiaowei Li: Research Institute of Structural Engineering and Disaster Reduction, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd (TJAD), Shanghai 200092, China

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