Mathematical Model for Design of Mass Dampers for Wind Excited Structures

A state space linear mathematical model oriented to the design of passive and active mass dampers for tall buildings and bridges subjected to the wind action is presented in this paper. The model accounts for an arbitrary number of passive and/or active damping devices positioned at arbitrary points of the structure, as well as for an arbitrary number of structural modes of vibration. The aerodynamic terms of the stiffness and damping matrices are considered following a linearized quasisteady approach. A general discussion on the application of H2/H∞ control techniques to the synthesis of the active mass dampers control law is carried out. For the tuning of the mechanical parameters of passive devices, the problem is reformulated in terms of a decentralized static output feedback control law design problem.