Research: Structural Dynamics

1. Research: Structural Dynamics Objective: To create and model new devices to mitigate damage caused by earthquakes and impulses • Devices are installed in buildings to dissipate energy during a seismic event • New devices dissipate energy using different types of damping than traditional viscous damping • The more energy is dissipated, the less energy in the system to damage the structure and its occupants • Destruction due to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake RISE Student: Anna Whittaker, Civil and Environmental Engineering Major, Class of 2015 Research Mentor: Dr. Brian Phillips, UMD Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

2. Research: Structural Dynamics Device performance is compared to traditional devices like Tuned Mass Dampers (TMD’s) Our device concepts are modelled virtually in Simulink using structural dynamics

3. Research: Structural Dynamics Existing Devices • Tuned Mass Dampers work well and cannot add energy to a system, so they cannot cause additional damage • However, they must be tuned to the natural frequencies of the building, and can therefore become useless if they are damaged during a seismic event. They are also very large (see image). • Devices that dissipate energy through impact work well and do not need to be tuned, but they could potentially be dangerous and cause more damage to the structure Our Devices • The devices we are working on dissipate energy nonlinearly and operate about as well as TMD’s • Their mitigation capabilities are “tuned” using material stiffness and device geometry, so there is a much smaller chance that damage during a seismic event will hinder their performance • They are active, meaning they can be adjusted during a seismic event according to performance feedback The TMD in Taipei 101, Taiwan occupies 6 floors