Smart Base Isolated Building Benchmark Problem

Satish Nagarajaiah

Professor, Depts. of Civil & Env. Eng. and Mech. Eng. & Mat. Sc., Rice University

Sriram Narasimhan

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Eng., Univ. of Waterloo

Erik Johnson

Associate Professor, Dept. of Civ. and Env. Eng., Univ. of Southern California

Henri Gavin

Associate Professor, Dept. of Civ. and Env. Eng., Duke University

ABSTRACT

The benchmark problem is for passive, active and semiactive control of seismically excited base-isolated buildings. The objective of this benchmark study is to provide a well defined base isolated building with a broad set of carefully chosen parameter sets, performance measures and guidelines to the participants, so that they can evaluate their control algorithms. The control algorithms may be passive, active or semi-active. The benchmark structure considered is an eight story base isolated building similar to existing buildings in Los Angeles, California. The base isolation system includes both linear and nonlinear bearings and control devices. The superstructure is considered to be a linear elastic system with lateral-torsional behavior. A new nonlinear dynamic analysis program has been developed and made available to facilitate direct comparison of results of different control algorithms.

Phase I: Linear Isolation Systems (Completed and Special Issue Published)

Nagarajaiah, S. Foreword: “Structural Control Benchmark Problem: Smart Base Isolated Building Subjected to Near Fault Earthquakes,” Journal of Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 13(2-3), 571–572 (2006).

Narasimhan, S., Nagarajaiah, S., Gavin, H., Johnson, E. A. “Smart Base Isolated Benchmark Building Part I: Problem definition,” Journal of Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 13(2-3), 573-588 (2006).

Nagarajaiah, S., and Narasimhan, S. “Smart base isolated benchmark building Part II: Phase I Sample controllers for linear isolation system,” Journal of Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 13(2-3), 589-604 (2006).

Phase II: Nonlinear Isolation Systems (Completed and Special Issue Published)

Nagarajaiah, S., Narasimhan, S. and Johnson, E., foreword, " Structural Control Benchmark Problem: Phase II Nonlinear Smart Base Isolated Building subjected to Near Fault Ground Motions " J. of Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 15 (5), 653-656 (2008).

Narasimhan, S., Nagarajaiah, S. and Johnson, E. " Smart Base Isolated Benchmark Building Part IV: Phase II Sample Controllers for Nonlinear Isolation Systems " J. of Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 15 (5), 657-672 (2008).

MATLAB, SIMULINK, and Data Files

Please contact Professor Satish Nagarajaiah (at the following address) for requesting the benchmark problem Matlab files. Thank you for your interest in the smart base isolated benchmark problem.

Satish Nagarajaiah, Ph.D.` |713-348-6207

Professor of Civil and Env. Eng.

Professor of Mechanical Eng.

Depts. of Civil & Env.Eng. and Mech.Eng.& Mat.Sc.      |nagaraja@rice.edu

Rice University, MS318, 6100 Main Street                   |www.ruf.rice.edu/~nagaraja/

Houston, TX 77005