Vertical vibration control of structures with tuned liquid column dampers

Conventional tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) can only be used to suppress structural vibrations in horizontal directions. However, in reality, the vibration-induced motion of civil engineering structures normally consists of both vertical and horizontal components. In this study, a TLCD-based vibration control system, which is composed of a pair of inclined U-shaped containers, springs, dashpots, as well as supporting slopes, is proposed to control the vertical vibration of an engineering structure. The proposed control system (denoted as vertical TLCD) successfully extends the application of TLCD-type devices to vertical vibration reduction. First, the general configuration and operating principle of the proposed vertical TLCD are illustrated in detail. Second, the equations of motion are derived based on the Lagrange dynamic equations and further verified by two-way fluid–structure coupling numerical simulations using finite element method and finite volume method. Subsequently, the closed-form solution is derived for the optimized design of the vertical TLCD in the frequency domain. The dynamic characteristics of an optimized vertical TLCD-structure system are revealed. The effects of mass ratio, excitation amplitude and structural damping ratio on the optimization results are elaborated, respectively. Under the same optimized parameters, the vertical TLCD is found to be superior, compared to the vertical tuned mass damper (TMD). Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed system is demonstrated by applying it to the control of a bridge experiencing vertical vibrations under seismic loads. The findings of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of TLCD's capabilities and identify its potential for vertical vibration control, which contributes to the development of more effective and versatile vibration mitigation strategies for a wide range of structures under different engineering scenarios.