Optimizing parameters of tuned mass damper subjected to critical earthquake

Tuned mass damper (TMD) has been proposed as one of the vibration control methods for rehabilitation of buildings. Because the parameters of TMD can significantly affect the seismic performance of structures, many researches focused on finding the optimum parameters. Because earthquakes are random phenomena and future earthquakes in comparison with past earthquakes may be more destructive, the optimum design of TMD subjected to selected earthquakes can be nonconservative. Hence, the main contribution of this paper is to present the optimal design of TMD for the seismic vibration control of a structure subjected to a critical earthquake that produces the most severe response of a structure. In order to achieve this purpose, the parameters of TMD are optimized through minimizing the maximum displacement of the roof. First, three optimization methods are used to obtain the optimal parameters of TMD for a 10-story shear building subjected to the critical earthquakes. Finally, the responses of the controlled and uncontrolled buildings such as the roof displacement, strokes, transfer function, and different forms of energy are compared. Results show that the optimum designs of TMD not only effectively reduce the roof displacement but also improve the seismic performance of the building.