Hybrid Controlled Base-isolation System with Semi-active Magnetorheological Damper and Rolling Pendulum System

A series of large-scale experimental tests is conducted on a mass equipped with a hybrid controlled base-isolation system that consists of rolling pendulum system (RPS) and a 20 kN magnetorheological (MR) damper. The 12-ton mass and its hybrid isolation system are subjected to various intensities of nearand far-fault earthquakes on a large shake table. Fuzzy controllers use feedback from displacement, and acceleration transducers attached to the structure to modulate resistance of the semi-active damper to motion. Results from various types of passive and semi-active control strategies are summarized and compared. The study shows that a combination of rolling pendulum system and an adjustable MR damper can provide robust control of vibration for large civil engineering structures that need protection from a wide range of seismic events. Low power consumption, direct feedback, high reliability, energy dissipation, and fail-safe operation are validated in this study.