Experimental Investigation of Super-Elastic Semi-Active Damping for Seismically Excited Structures

A numerical and large-scale experimental evaluation of super-elastic, semi-active damping for structures subjected to seismic loadings is offered in the current study. An array of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires is installed in concurrence with multiple magnetorheological (MR) dampers to provide recoverable hysteretic damping in a three-story benchmark structure. Optimal distribution of SMA wire is determined through a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm with controlled elitism (NSGA2CE). For management of MR damper resistance levels a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is also generated using the NSGA2CE algorithm. Numerical and large-scale experimental tests reveal favorable hysteretic behavior that results from use of the combined SMA and MR devices. The total response of the structure shows significant reductions in peak inter-story drifts and peak acceleration responses, when compared to the instance where SMA braces are installed in the structure and MR dampers are operated in a passive mode.