Optimal control of a plan asymmetric structure using magnetorheological dampers

Although building structures can be perceived as a combination of primary frames in two orthogonal directions, they are three-dimensional systems that usually present a very complex dynamic behavior due to irregular geometric configurations, in particular due to plant stiffness or mass eccentricities. This asymmetric geometry results in coupled lateral–torsional motion produced by wind and seismic loading with consequences in the design of lateral and corner columns. A considerable amount of research effort has been devoted to develop structural control systems to reduce the effects of plan asymmetries and to improve the dynamic behavior of these buildings. This paper presents a numerical analysis of a semi-active control system with MR dampers designed to reduce lateral–torsional responses of a plan asymmetric building structure excited by El Centro NS earthquake ground motion. A parametric study comprising passive and semi-active control modes is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control system with respect to uncontrolled case. The numerical results prove the efficiency of the semi-active control system and its potential use in mitigating coupled lateral–torsional structural responses.