III DIPLOMADO INTERNACIONAL EN INGENIERIA SISMICA

CON SISTEMAS DE PROTECCION

Mass dampers
Francisco Lpez Almansa

Objectives

Mass dampers (dynamic absorbers, resonant dampers)

for damping out vibrations of civil engineering
structures

Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

Index
Concept of mass damping
Applications

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Centerpoint Tower (Sydney)

Citigroup Center (New York)
Taipei 101
Hankyu Chayamachi Building (Osaka)
Yokohama Marine Tower
London Millennium Bridge

Bibliography
Companies

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Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

Concept of mass damping (1)

Elements connected to a vibrating structure in
such a way as inertia forces (m ) tend to
counteract input effect
Example: Tuned Mass Damper for wind and
seismic protection of tall buildings; these
devices are termed Tuned because input,
building and damper frequencies must be
close
Optimal tuning and damping parameters
should be selected
To provide significant effect, protecting
devices need to be massive (big mass) and
move fast (big acceleration)
Mass Dampers are also known as Dynamic
Vibration Absorbers or Resonant
Dampers

TMD

wind

earthquake

Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

Concept of mass damping (2)

Tall (or slender) buildings or similar structures (steel chimneys, towers for
suspended and cable-stayed bridges, communication towers, airport control
towers, masts, sculptures, etc.) under wind gusts or middle intensity earthquakes.
Vibrations are horizontal (flexural and torsional). Also masts of cable-stayed or
suspension bridges during construction (prior installation of cables)
Off-shore platforms. Inputs: wind, earthquakes and waves
Long-span floor slabs or flexible pedestrian bridges undergoing human generated
vibrations
Long-span bridges
Poles for overhead transmission lines
Overhead transmission lines undergoing wind-generated oscillations
Flexible elements (cantilever roofs, etc.)
Other non-civil engineering uses: vibrating machinery, solar telescopes under
wind excitation (high shape accuracy is required), space structures (antennae,
solar arrays and other appendages), mining equipment, robotic manipulator, tanks,
pipes, ships, engine shafts, helicopter rotor blades, etc.
Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

Concept of mass damping (3)

Tuned Mass Dampers for human-generated vibrations

People tend to move same frequency: 2 Hz (walking) or up to 4 Hz (dancing or
playing sports)
If this frequency (or its multiples) is close to natural frequency of structure,
there is a big amplification, termed as resonance
Resonant response has same frequency than input, phase angle is 90
Resonance requires a sufficient number of cycles (for cumulated
amplification); final magnification is higher if structural damping is low
Tuned masses can be incorporated to structure as they vibrate delayed 180
with respect to excitation (people), thus counteracting its effect

Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

Applications. Centerpoint Tower (Sydney) (1)

First building incorporating TMD (1971)
Two mass dampers: water tank (up) and
secondary mass (intermediate). Two modes
controlled
Wind response reduces more than

Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

Applications. Citigroup Center (New York) (2)

H = 320 m; TF = 6.25 s
TMD size = 10 10 2.67 m3; TMD mass
= 373 t (concrete); Power = 160 HP
(hydraulic); maximum stroke = 1.5 m
TMD becomes free-floating by rising on
frictionless oil film; trigger acceleration =
0.003 g
System reduces wind response in both
directions simultaneously; damping
increases from 1% to 4%

Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

Applications. Taipei 101 (3)

508 m, 101 stories
TMD system with largest mass ever
built, about 660 ton
Primary purpose of TMD is to reduce
accelerations caused by wind
TMD is a ball-shaped mass block, 8
sets of suspension steel cables, eight
viscous dampers, bumper ring and 8
sets of snubber dampers installed
underneath mass block. Viscous
dampers absorb energy during strong
winds. Snubber dampers limit motion
amplitude during seismic events
Upper floors accelerations are reduced
30 to 40%

Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

Applications. Hankyu Chayamachi Building (Osaka) (4)

Applause Tower; height = 160 m; 34 stories
Heliport is mass damper (480 t; 3.5% of weight)
Building/heliport fundamental period = 3.8/3.6
s
Wind acceleration reduced by more than
No torsion control

Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

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Applications. Yokohama Marine Tower (5)

Light steel building; H = 100 m; TF = 1.82 s
Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD) containing water
30 containers at top floor. Water mass is 1.6 t;
diameter = 60 cm; height = 45 cm (6 layers)
Reduction of wind vibration about
Damping factor increases from 0.6% to 4.5%

Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

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Applications. London Millennium Bridge (6)

Suspended shallow footbridge (3 spans: 81 + 144 + 108 = 333 m)

Lateral, torsional and vertical stiffness mainly contributed by the tensioned
cables; aluminium deck is hinged every 16 m
First mode: lateral motion (0.5 Hz); high density of people caused unexpected
sideways bridge motion
Viscous dampers (Taylor) and TMD (Gerb) to achieve damping > 20%
Tuned mass dampers: eight horizontal (one to two ton heavy steel plates
supported by 4 helical springs) and 50 vertical (2.5 t heavy steel blocks
suspended by pendulums)
Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

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Bibliography

Bachmann H.; Ammann W. (1987) Vibrations in Structures IABSE.

Den Hartog J.P. (1984) Mechanical Vibrations Dover.
EERC Worldwide Applications of Tuned Mass Dampers Downloadable at
http://nisee.berkeley.edu/prosys/tuned.html.
Kareem A., Kijewski T. & Tamura Y. Mitigation of Motions of Tall Buildings with
Specific Examples of Recent Applications Downloadable at http://www.911strike.com/mitigation_of_motion.pdf.
Korenev B.G.; Reznikov L.M. (1993) Dynamic Vibration Absorbers. Theory and
Technical Applications J. Wiley.
Kwok K.C.S. & B. Samali B. (1995) Performance of tuned mass dampers under wind
loads Engineering Structures. 17 (9) pp. 655-667.
Mead D.J. (1998) Passive Vibration Control J. Wiley.
Nashif A.D.; Jones D.I.; Henderson J.P. (1984) Vibration damping J. Wiley.
Proc. of 11th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology
(SmiRT 11), Seismic Isolation and Response Control for Nuclear and Non-Nuclear
Structures, Tokyo, Japan, 1991.
Soong T.T.; Dargush G.F. (1997) Passive Energy Dissipation Systems in Structural
Engineering J. Wiley.
Warburton G.B. (1982) Optimum Absorber Parameters for Various Combinations of
Response and Excitation Parameters Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics.
10 (5) pp. 381-401.
Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa

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Bibliography. Companies

CSA (www.csaengineering.com)
FIP Industriale
Gerb (www.gerb.com)
Hyundai Heavy Industries
Kayaba (www.kyb.co.jp)
Kajima
Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (www.ihi.co.jp)
Maurer (www.maurer-soehne.de)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (www.mhi.co.jp)
Mitsui
Motioneering (www.motioneering.ca)
MTS Systems Corp. Minneapolis
Sanwa Tekki Corporation
Scrub Oak Techn. Inc.(www.scruboaktechnologies.com)
Shimizu
Takenaka
Tokkyokiki (www.tokkyokiki.co.jp)
Yacmo (www.yacmo.co.jp)
Mass dampers for seismic protection of buildings. Francesc Lpez Almansa. Barcelona

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