Implementation of a control project based on Tuned Liquid Column Dampers optimized by Teaching-Learning Based Optimization

Resumo

Tuned Liquid Column Dampers (TLCDs) are passive control devices implemented in buildings to reduce the structural response of the controlled system when subjected to dynamic environmental loads. These devices consist of U-shaped tanks containing a liquid, usually water, where the oscillating motion of the fluid in the tank columns is used to generate inertial forces that counteract the motion caused by the excitation, thereby dissipating the incoming energy into the system. These devices have been the focus of research in recent decades and have attracted the attention of the scientific community interested in finding reliable, simple, and economical mechanisms to reduce the effects of dynamic loads on civil structures. Thus, this research aims to develop and evaluate the performance of an optimal control project based on the operation of a TLCD installed on the top floor of a mid-rise building excited by different seismic records. For this purpose, a metaheuristic algorithm known as Teaching-Learning Based Optimization (TLBO) is employed to execute the process of selecting optimal parameters for the control device, maximizing the effectiveness of the controller in reducing the overall response of the controlled building. The results obtained allow to establish that the implementation of TLCD in the structure leads to a significant reduction in the structural response of the building, highlighting the efficiency of the device in mitigating displacements during seismic events.