MODIFIED BANG-BANG CONTROL LAW FOR STRUCTURAL CONTROL IMPLEMENTATION

Linear quadratic regulator (LQR) formulation has been used extensively in many control systems designed for structural control applications due to its stability and robustness. However, recent results obtained from simulation, laboratory experiments, and full-scale structural app lications show that it is difficult to use linear feedback-control law s to produce a significant peak-response reduction when the peak respo nse occurs during the first few cycles of the time history. On the oth er hand, although another class of well-known optimal control laws, so called ''bang-bang'' control, has been investigated for several decad es, their potential in civil engineering structural control has not ye t been exploited. The purpose of this paper is to present a new implem entable control law for response control of civil engineering structur es, based on the optimal bang-bang control principle. Through a series of simulation studies and experimental verification in the laboratory using a model structure, it is shown that the proposed new control la w can significantly improve peak-response reduction under the same con straints imposed on the control resources as in the LQR case.