Seismic Response of Adjacent Steel Structures Connected by Passive Device

In this study, the seismic response of adjacent steel structures linked to one another at different floor levels by passive devices is evaluated. Two types of connectors are considered: linear viscous dampers and linear springs. Various combinations of type and location of the connectors are analyzed for wide ranges of their characteristics. Influence of the structural properties (ratio of number of stories and ratio of fundamental periods) and the properties of the excitation (frequency) on the story response are also investigated. The results show that reduction of the story drift and the floor acceleration is not possible if the structures are connected to one another solely by the springs. However, it is feasible if the structures are linked to one another by either: (a) viscous dampers or (b) combinations of viscous dampers and springs. Herein, response reductions corresponding to case (b) are generally smaller than those corresponding to case (a). Also, the coupling control approach is more effective in controlling the response than the uncoupled approach.