Vibration Control of Structures with Initially Accelerated Passive Tuned Mass Dampers under Near-Fault Earthquake Excitation

This article deals with the applicability of passive tuned mass damper (PTMD) for reducing the dynamic responses of structures under near-fault earthquake excitations. Three types of pulse-like time functions are employed to simulate the near-fault ground motion. The vibration control effectiveness of PTMDs is extensively investigated through the comparisons of response spectrum and response time histories of a structure with and without PTMDs. To suppress structural peak responses, an initial velocity is applied to the PTMD to accelerate its motion. Numerical studies show that the more cycles of a pulse are contained in the ground motion, the more useful a PTMD becomes in reducing the peak structural responses.