Stochastic Control of Structures

The problem of how to control a structure against random disturbance of known statistical properties is investigated. An optimal control law can be found as a combination of closed-loop control and open-loop control. The open-loop control depends on the statistics of the disturbance, but the closed-loop control depends on the current response of the structure. The approach is used for controlling a sample span bridge against the effect of the irregularities of the bridge deck. The irregularities are assumed to be stationary random processes with known mean and variance. A comparison between the controlled and uncontrolled responses is considered.