Analytical and experimental investigations on performance of tuned liquid column dampers with various orifices to wind-excited structural vibration

A detailed study on the dynamic characteristics of passive damping devices of TLCDs with different blocking ratios in orifices is analytically and experimentally conducted for investigation of the optimal control performance of the TLCDs for a wide range of wind loading. In the analytical phase of this study, the control performance is thoroughly investigated for a single degree-of-freedom primary structure equipped with a TLCD for varying intensities of wind loading and blocking ratios. It is verified that the passive-type TLCD with an optimally designed small blocking ratio still shows good performance for strong wind excitation. Next, a series of experiments are carried out to investigate the control performance of a prototype of the TLCD using harmonic and white noise wind excitation and blocking ratios in the orifice by use of a shake table. The damping ratio of the TLCD with various blocking ratios is predicted by the head loss coefficient obtained from the measured data and used for estimating the control efficiency. It is confirmed that the optimal control performance is maintained under conditions of strong wind excitation and an optimally designed small blocking ratio.