ABSTRACT
Since the birth of the first actively controlled building, structural control technology has been changing the conventional image of buildings. Now more than thirty buildings in Japan and a couple of buildings and towers in China and Europe have active-control systems implemented. Such a computer-control-based strategy for structural response reduction is stepping forward to more and more advanced levels. This paper discusses the basic philosophy and current view of semiactive control scheme regarded as one of the most promising strategies for protecting structures against large earthquake, demonstrating some analogies with car suspension control.
