Tuned Mass Dampers for Dual-Mode Buffeting Control of Bridges

The objective of this paper is to present the idea of control of the dual-mode buffeting response in suspension bridges under service conditions using two tuned mass dampers (TMDs). The bridge is assumed to vibrate in two vertical modes, which are to be controlled using two TMDs. The TMDs' properties are determined by minimizing the maximum buffeting response of the bridge. By neglecting modal coupling terms, some approximate formulas are derived. A numerical example is used to understand the requirements for the TMDs. The results show that, as compared to using only one TMD, the dual TMDs offer a more pronounced response reduction. The results also reveal some disadvantages of using the TMD system for buffeting vibration control. The major one is that the efficiency of the TMD system declines and the strokes increase significantly as the wind speed increases.