Pendulum Tuned Mass Dampers for Floor Vibration Control

This paper presents the results of the analytical and experimental studies of a pendulum tuned mass damper (PTMD) to control excessive floor vibrations due to human movements. The PTMD used in this study acts as a passive tuned mass damper. An equivalent single-degree-of-freedom model for the PTMD is developed and used to derive the equations of motion of the coupled PTMD-floor system. The optimal design parameters of the PTMD are found using an optimization algorithm. Effects of off-tuning of the PTMD due to the variations in the floor mass on its response are investigated. Results of the tuning of the PTMD on a laboratory test floor are presented along with the off-tuning effects. These results indicate that a properly tuned PTMD can significantly reduce the excessive floor vibrations. In addition, when subjected to off-tuning due to variations in the floor live load the PTMD may or may not be able to perform effectively depending on the level of human-structure dynamic interactions. Finally, examples of the PTMD already in use to control excessive floor vibrations are presented.