Structural Control By Induced Stress Based Stiffness Modification

Abstract

Structural control through bracing modification is presented in this thesis. First existing structural control devices discussed. Then the idea of how to adjust the stiffness properties of a structural frame is introduced. After studying the effect of induced stress on the stiffness of structural elements is considered, analytical studies using modal and transient analysis in ANSYS are undertaken. This analysis involves using various bracing configurations with different magnitudes of induced stress to find the natural frequency of each and how these models response to the El Centro earthquake excitation. Following the analytical studies, laboratory experiments are carried out using sinusoidal input and El Centro excitation. The analytical and experimental results are compared and the effect of bracing and pre-induced forces is evaluated for single-story and double-story frames.