Experiments on a Full-Scale Building Model using Modified Sliding Mode Control

This paper presents a modified sliding mode control (MSMC) method using acceleration feedback to reduce the response of seismic-excited civil buildings. A pre-filter is introduced prior to the control command so that a systematic trade-off between control and structural responses can be achieved. To demonstrate practical implementation of MSMC controllers, extensive shake table experimental tests have been conducted on a full-scale three-story building equipped with active bracing systems at the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, Taiwan. To improve the effectiveness of active control, a nominal system that incorporates the control–structure interaction effect is used in the MSMC controller design. In addition, existing system uncertainties in the nominal system resulting from system identification are considered in the process of controller design and the robustness of control performance and stability is demonstrated through shake table experiments. Experimental results indicate that the MSMC strategy using acceleration feedback for the full-scale building is robust and its performance is quite remarkable. Furthermore, the numerical simulation based on an analytical model that was identified previously by taking into account the control–structure interaction effect was conducted and comparisons are made with the experimental results. It is shown that the correlation between numerical simulation results and experimental data is quite excellent.