Active vibration control of frame structures with smart structures using piezoelectric actuators (Vibration control by control of bending moments of columns)

A smart structure was tested for active vibration control of frame structures in which the bending moment of the columns was controlled by stack-type piezoelectric actuators integrated into the columns. Excitation tests were carried out for a model of a four-storey building 3.7 m in height and 2000 kg in total weight in which thirty-two piezoelectric actuators 25 mm x 25 mm x 36 mm(H) were used for bending moment control. The actuators were installed in two ways: in one case eight actuators were attached to each column of the first storey, and in the other case four actuators were attached to each column of the first and second storeys. Two control strategies, a model-matching method and the H-infinity control theory, were examined for the smart structure. The tests showed that the smart structure could effectively reduce the responses of the building model, and all combinations of actuator installation method and the control strategy yielded almost the same performance.