Experimental verification of an active mass driver system on a five-storey model using a fuzzy controller

This paper reports experimental tests conducted on a five-storey model using an active mass driver (AMD) system, where the control action was achieved by using a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) and the UTS state-of-the-art shake table facility. The performance of the fuzzy controller was checked against El Centro 1940, Hachinohe 1968, Northridge 1994, and Kobe 1995 earthquakes to verify the potential of using the fuzzy controller in real applications for active control of structures. Fuzzy logic is one of few mathematical model-free approaches to system identification and control. Other advantages of fuzzy logic controllers are that they can be nonlinear, adaptive, admit a high degree of parallel implementation, and tolerate uncertainty in the system. The building model under consideration is a large-scale five-storey, 3.6-m-tall, steel frame designed and manufactured at the University of Technology, Sydney. The paper details the experimental set up of the five-storey model with AMD system and the instrumentation used to measure the response, the design process of the Fuzzy Controller, and the earthquake excitations used in the experimental tests. The results of the experimental tests confirm the potential of using the adopted fuzzy controller for the active structural control using, an active mass driver (AMD) system.