Nonlinear optimal control for reducing vibrations in civil structures using magnetorheological dampers

The frequently excessive vibrations presented in civil structures during seismic events or service conditions may result in users' discomfort, or worst, in structures failure, producing economic and life losses. This work presents the synthesis of a nonlinear optimal control scheme for compensating vibrations in civil structures by means of using magnetorheological dampers (MRD), which are used as semiactive actuator devices for damping the civil structures motion, with the inherent advantage of having a low energy consumption for operating. A three story building is analyzed as a case study, where its movement is investigated by comparing the motion time response with and without control for the MRD (located at the first building floor). Simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed controller for controlling the building damping via a MRD.