Different from previous researches which mostly focused on linear response control of seismically excited high-rise buildings, this study aims to control nonlinear seismic response of high-rise buildings. To this end, a semi-active control strategy, in which H∞ control algorithm is used and magneto-rheological dampers are employed for an actuator, is presented to suppress the nonlinear vibration. In this strategy, a modified Kalman–Bucy observer which is suitable for the proposed semi-active strategy is developed to obtain the state vector from the measured semi-active control force and acceleration feedback, taking into account of the effects of nonlinearity, disturbance and uncertainty of controlled system parameters by the observed nonlinear accelerations. Then, the proposed semi-active H∞ control strategy is applied to the ASCE 20-story benchmark building when subjected to earthquake excitation and compared with the other control approaches by some control criteria. It is indicated that the proposed semi-active H∞ control strategy provides much better control performances by comparison with the semi-active MPC and Clipped-LQG control approaches, and can reduce nonlinear seismic response and minimize the damage in the buildings. Besides, it enhances the reliability of the control performance when compared with the active control strategy. Thus, the proposed semi-active H∞ control strategy is suitable for suppressing the nonlinear vibration of high-rise buildings.

Excessive deformation of the isolation layer in midstory isolated structures may occur under strong near-field pulse-like ground motion, which would result in the overturning collapse of the superstructure. The objective of the present research is to limit excessive deformation of the isolation layer and to reduce nonlinear response of midstory isolated structures. To this end, a protective system is presented to limit deformation of the isolation layer by soft pounding. Based on the Kelvin pounding model, a mechanical model is put forward for this protective system. In addition, a new method has been proposed that synthesizes artificial near-field pulse-like ground motion by combining the real near-field nonpulse ground motion with simple equivalent pulses. Also, the impact of artificial near-field pulse-like ground motion on the nonlinear response of midstory isolated structures and the deformation of the isolation layer has been investigated. The effectiveness of the midstory isolation with the protective system has been validated. The results show that the maximum deformation of the isolation layer significantly exceeds the allowable deformation of lead-rubber bearings when subjected to near-field pulse-like ground motion, and it causes the lead-rubber bearings destruction. The proposed protective system is effective in restricting the excessive deformation of the isolation layer and reducing nonlinear responses of the isolated structure, preventing collapse of the superstructure.

Precast shear wall (PSW) has been widely applied in building structures with advantages of good mechanical behavior and construction efficiency. To improve the seismic performance and the earthquake resilience of PSW, a new earthquake-resilient precast shear wall with bolt-plate connectors (ERPSW) was developed. Experimental study was conducted to investigate the seismic performance of the proposed ERPSW, including the failure mode, shear resistance, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, degradation in stiffness, etc. Moreover, seismic-damaged ERPSW was repaired by replacing the damaged connectors and tested again to verify the earthquake resilience through the comparisons with original test. Results demonstrated that the proposed ERPSW exhibited the similar mechanical behavior compared with the cast-in-situ shear wall, while developed higher shear capacity, better ductility, and energy dissipation capacity. The damage was concentrated in the bolt-plate connectors, consuming more than 85% of the total energy dissipation, while precast concrete wall almost remained elastic with few cracks. The seismic performance of seismic-damaged ERPSW was recovered after replacing the damaged members, exhibiting as good as seismic performance with the original one. Consequently, the utilization of bolt-plate connectors could ensure the reliable connection of PSW, enhance the seismic performance as well as satisfy the requirement of earthquake resilience with convenient replacement.

A novel precast replaceable beam-to-column joint with energy-dissipating steel hinges was proposed for the connection of precast structures to improve the seismic performance and post-earthquake resilience. The proposed joint was installed in the predetermined plastic hinge region at beams and the flange segments of the proposed joint were weakened to achieve damage concentration. Cyclic loading tests were conducted on the proposed joint and the steel sleeve confined concrete joint to study the hysteretic performance, including failure mode, load–displacement curves, ductility, and energy-dissipation capacity. Moreover, the hystertic performance of the damage-repaired proposed joint was investigated to verify the post-earthquake resilience. Results demonstrated that the proposed joints could develop favorable failure mode with the necking rupture of the weakened steel plate in steel hinge. The damage of the proposed joint was concentrated in the energy-dissipating hinges while no serious damage was observed in the precast framing components, achieving the objective of damage concentration. Compared with steel sleeve confined concrete joint, the hysteresis curve of proposed joint was more plump while an obvious pinching effect was observed in the steel-confined concrete joint. The bearing capacity and energy-dissipation capacity of the proposed joint were about 1.25 times and 1.55 times of that for the steel sleeve confined concrete joint, respectively. In addition, the hysteretic performance of the repaired specimen was identical to the original one, with the desired failure mode caused by the fracture of the steel hinge. It was noted that the hysteretic performance of the repaired joint was better than the steel sleeve confined concrete joint. The bearing capacity was recovered at up to 96.6% of the original joint while the energy-dissipation capacity was recovered at 96.1%, indicating that the proposed joint achieved the post-earthquake resilience to a great extent.