Experimental Test and Numerical Analysis of a Structure Equipped with a Multi-Tuned Liquid Damper Subjected to Dynamic Loading

Abstract

Tuned liquid dampers (TLDs) have many advantages in controlling building vibrations, among which multi-tuned liquid dampers (MTLDs) appear to have better stability and effectiveness. However, the tank wall was assumed to be rigid in the past by ignoring the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) at the interface, resulting in simplified calculation for the design of the TLDs. Moreover, the fluid in the tank was considered to be separate from the structure. This paper presents two numerical methods to control the responses of the frame under the dynamic loadings: (1) the lumped mass method for quickly designing the TLDs, and (2) the finite volume method/finite element method (FVM/FEM) for analyzing the fluid and solid domains of the TLDs in a single computational 3D model. In addition, the multi-field interaction between the structure-fluid-tank walls is considered by solving the coupling equations at the interfaces. A steel frame is fitted with an MTLD and tested experimentally on a shaking table to investigate its dynamic response. Numerical results are verified with the experimental ones, which show good agreement.