The sustainability of motion control systems

Abstract

With all the damage to structures due to dynamic loading in the past few decades, the demand for motion control systems in structures has skyrocketed. Many different technologies for combating wind and earthquake loads have been identified. Energy dissipation devices and base isolation are two methods that reduce the damage and minimize the response of a structure. Energy dissipation of a structure removes energy and therefore movement from a structure by providing damping. Motion energy is converted to other types of less damaging energy. Base isolation is only effective against earthquakes. Bearings are placed under a building and stop ground motion from getting into the building. This thesis will provide an overview of available dampers and bearings available in the market. Then it will look at how sustainable each type of device is. Sustainability of a device will be determined by its expected lifetime and required maintenance.