Design of a Semiactive TMD for Lightweight Pedestrian Structures Considering Human–Structure–Actuator Interaction

Abstract

Lightweight pedestrian structures constructed with high strength-to-weight ratio materials, such as fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), may experience large accelerations due to their lightness, thus overcoming the serviceability limit state. Additionally, uncertainties associated with human–structure interaction phenomena become relevant. Under these circumstances, variations in pedestrian actions could modify the modal properties of the coupled human–structure system and classical approaches based on passive Tuned Mass Dampers (TMD) do not offer an effective solution. An alternative solution is to use a Semiactive TMD (STMD), which includes a semiactive damper that, when properly designed, may be effective for a relatively broad frequency band, offering a robust solution when significant uncertainties are present. Thus, this paper presents a design methodology for the design of STMDs applied to lightweight pedestrian structures including human–structure and actuator–structure interaction. A multiobjective optimization procedure has been proposed to simultaneously minimize structure acceleration, inertial mass, and maximum damper force. The methodology has been applied to a lightweight FRP footbridge. Realistic simulations, including system uncertainties, interaction phenomena, nonlinear damper model, noise-contaminated signals, and the practical elements (in-line digital filters) needed for the successful implementation of the control law, validate the methodology. As a conclusion, the STMD is more effective than its passive counterpart in both, canceling the response or achieving similar performance with significant lower inertial mass.