Output frequency response function based design of additional nonlinear viscous dampers for vibration control of multi-degree-of-freedom systems

This paper is concerned with the development of a new technique for the optimal placement and design of additional nonlinear viscous dampers for vibration control of Multi-Degree-Of-Freedom (MDOF) systems. The MDOF systems described by a multi-storey shear building model and subjected to harmonic loadings are first considered in the present study; then, the basic ideas of the design are extended to the cases of earthquake loadings. The studies are based on the concept of Output Frequency Response Function (OFRF) and associated methods proposed recently by the authors in control engineering and extend, for the first time, the well-established linear viscous damper optimal placement and design techniques for MDOF system vibration control to the nonlinear case. The design examples verify the effectiveness of the new technique, and demonstrate the beneficial effects of the designed additional nonlinear dampers on the MDOF system vibration control and the advantages of nonlinear viscous dampers over linear dampers in such applications.