Effects of Bracing Stiffness and Viscoelastic Damping on Enhancing Vibration Control in Buildings

This study investigates the synergistic effects of viscoelastic damping and bracing stiffness on enhancing vibration control in tall buildings. The research transitions from a theoretical single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system to a practical application on a 50-story high-rise building model. Numerical simulations were constructed using Maxwell damper models in MATLAB, systematically varying damping coefficients and spring stiffness. For the SDOF system, an optimal stiffness ratio (km/k) of approximately 0.4 was identified, which effectively balanced acceleration and displacement responses. This optimal ratio varied with the excitation frequency ratio (ω/ωn) and load type: for wind excitations (ω/ωn<0.8), km/k≈0.2 was most effective, whereas for earthquake excitations (ω/ωn>0.8), km/k>10 proved beneficial. Here, it is shown that the integration of a magnetorheological (MR) damper with a bracing system significantly enhances the modal damping ratio from 1% to 10% in the finite-element model of the building. The findings reveal that a decentralized control law optimally reduces accelerations under wind loads, marking a departure from previous assumptions about damping effectiveness in high-rise structures. Furthermore, incorporating realistic bracing elements within the damping system led to an additional reduction in acceleration responses by up to 10%, significantly improving energy dissipation under dynamic loading conditions. These results underscore practical strategies for enhancing the safety and resilience of high-rise buildings, with implications extending to diverse architectural contexts and other structures subjected to dynamic forces, including long-span bridges and industrial facilities. This research not only advances our understanding of vibration control mechanisms but also provides a foundation for future developments in structural engineering practices.