Suppression of bridge flutter using tuned mass dampers based on robust performance design

This study addresses design methodologies of TMDs for control of bridge flutter, considering the uncertainty of aerodynamic data in order to enhance the robustness of tuned mass dampers (TMDs) against frequency drift caused by wind–bridge interaction. To evaluate the robust performance of a TMD system, the concept of minimum flutter velocity is introduced in the presence of perturbed unsteady aerodynamic forces. Two types of multiple tuned mass dampers (MTMD) are considered, i.e. the frequencies of each TMD are regularly or irregularly spaced. An optimization procedure for an irregular MTMD (IMTMD), which has an unequal frequency interval and different damping ratio of each individual TMD, is proposed based on genetic algorithms. The proposed TMDs are then applied to a cable stayed bridge and a suspension bridge to prove the validity of the methods. From the numerical results, the proposed IMTMD shows remarkable control efficiency compared with conventional single TMD (STMD) and MTMD.