Large-scale experimental verification of semiactive control through real-time hybrid simulation

Magneto-rheological (MR) fluid dampers have been identified as a particularly promising type of semiactive control device for hazard mitigation in civil engineering structures. Large-scale experimental testing is important to verify the performance of MR fluid dampers for seismic protection of civil structures. Real-time hybrid testing, where only the critical components of the system are physically tested while the rest of the structure is simulated, can provide a cost-effective means for large-scale testing of semiactive controlled structures. This paper describes the real-time hybrid simulation experimental setup for multiple large-scale MR fluid dampers and demonstrates the capability at the University of Colorado at Boulder shared-use Fast Hybrid Test facility to conduct real-time hybrid testing within the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation.