On the current status of magnetorheological dampers: seismic protection of full-scale structures

Because of their mechanical simplicity, high dynamic range, low power requirements, large force capacity and robustness, magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers have been shown to be semi-active control devices that mesh well with application demands and constraints to offer an attractive means of protecting civil infrastructure systems against severe earthquake and wind loading. Following an overview of the essential features of MR fluids, this paper discusses the current status of this new technology for seismic protection of structures, including presentation of recent laboratory studies employing a seismically-excited, scale-model building and preliminary analyses of a prototype full-scale MR damper.