Effectiveness of seismic-tuned passive Tuned Mass Dampers accounting for Soil-Structure Interaction

Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) devices are generally considered as valuable means for reduction and control of undesired vibrations and excessive dynamic responses of structural systems. The expectable level of performance of TMDs in the framework of earthquake engineering, a research topic widely studied and still debated, doubtlessly plays an important role, since TMDs may represent a convenient intervention solution for both aseismic structural design and seismic retrofitting of existing structures. The present paper is placed within such a research context, aiming at investigating the potential effectiveness of an optimum passive TMD in reducing the structural response to strong-motion earthquakes of a given set of MDOF shear-type frame structures. One of the most relevant features of this study is the proposal of a seismic-tuned TMD, optimised through an innovative numerical method, apt to provide the optimum configuration of the control device for a given combination of host structure and seismic event. A further important aspect is the consideration, within the structural and dynamic model, of Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) effects, which looks crucial for a comprehensive analysis of the whole context. Moreover, being SSI embedded within the tuning process, an influence on both optimum TMD parameters and achievable TMD performance is recorded and quantified. The obtained results, focussing on the relations between all considered features (including soil parameters) and arising TMD effectiveness in terms of reduced seismic response, also for post-tuning trials, provide crucial information towards the final evaluation of TMDs as possible useful control devices in earthquake engineering applications.