Upgraded double tuned mass dampers for vibration control of structures under earthquakes

In this study, an upgraded version of a Double Tuned Mass Damper (UDTMD) is developed to mitigate the dynamic response of structures under earthquake loadings. This device is a passive vibration absorber combined by two masses, two springs and a dashpot. Like a Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) or Double Tuned Mass Damper (DTMD), the UDTMD has notable advantages such as stability, cost-effective and low maintenance requirements. To achieve the maximum effectiveness of UDTMD, its parameters are optimized based on the peak displacement and the absolute acceleration of the main structures under the El Centro earthquake (1940). By comparing the effectiveness of UDTMD with those of DTMD and TMD, the structural vibration absorption capacity of this device is demonstrated. The numerical simulations from this study show that, in mitigating structural responses, the proposed UDTMD is more effective than a conventional TMD or DTMD with the same weight as UDTMD. Furthermore, the stability of this device is assessed by testing the UDTMD-structure system under various earthquake loadings. The results obtained indicate that UDTMD still remains high performance when the primary structure is subjected to different earthquakes.