Seismic-induced vibration control of modular high-rise buildings using mega modularized substructure

Modular construction technique is becoming more and more popular in engineering community since it offers significant advantages like reduced environmental impact, enhanced quality control, and faster construction speed compared to traditional onsite construction methods. However, its application in high-rise buildings remains limited due to significant concerns like the reliability of the structural system. To address this challenge, this study proposes a novel solution, i.e., a mega modularized substructure, for modular high-rise buildings. This system originates from the conventional mega substructure configuration and integrates prefabricated modular units connected by inter-module connections into the mega frames. The structural properties of the inter-module connections are optimized based on the tuned mass damper (TMD) concept, with the mean squared displacement response of the primary structure as the control objective in the optimization analysis. With the optimized parameters, the mega modularized substructure demonstrates favorable attenuation of primary structural responses in multiple modes and enhances the control effectiveness of structures compared to the conventional mega substructure. Furthermore, the present study investigates the robustness of the proposed system against the malfunction of the modular substructure and pounding between modules and between modules and frame on control effectiveness, thereby validating its suitability for application in construction of high-rise frame structures.