Negative stiffness driven TMD with vertical load support for smart seismic control of high-rise buildings and energy response properties

Negative stiffness driven-TMD (NSD-TMD) that uses negative stiffness and inertial mass in the auxiliary connection is proposed. Its optimal design parameters and the energy response characteristics of buildings equipped with NSD-TMD are also clarified. NSD-TMD links the main and auxiliary connections to different stories. The main connection consists of a spring and a dashpot, similar to conventional TMDs. The auxiliary connection comprises positive and negative spring elements and inertial mass. The negative stiffness and inertial mass in the auxiliary connection amplify the control force or the dissipated energy by the main connection. Furthermore, either story linked by both connections can support the vertical load of NSD-TMD. When lower stories support the vertical load of NSD-TMD, structural members in upper stories do not need additional reinforcement. To investigate the energy response characteristics of buildings equipped with NSD-TMD, the energy transfer function is introduced, and the equivalent damping ratio is formulated. Finally, the time-history response analyses for MDOF building models subjected to various types of ground motions are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of NSD-TMD.