Hybrid base‐isolation with magnetorheological damper and fuzzy control

A series of large‐scale experimental tests is conducted on a mass equipped with a base‐isolation system that consists of high damping rubber bearings (HDRB) and a 300 kN magnetorheological (MR) damper. The 21 772 kg mass and its hybrid isolation system are subjected to various intensities of near‐ and far‐fault earthquakes on a large shake table. Three proposed fuzzy controllers use feedback from displacement, velocity, or acceleration transducers attached to the structure to modulate resistance of the semi‐active damper to motion. Results from various types of passive and semi‐active control strategies are summarized and compared. The study shows that a combination of HDRB isolators and an adjustable MR damper can provide robust control of vibration for large civil engineering structures that need protection from a wide range of seismic events. Low power consumption, direct feedback, high reliability, energy dissipation, and fail‐safe operation are validated in this study. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.