Design guidelines for tuned liquid column damper for structures responding to wind

In this paper, some useful guidelines for designing tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) for damped single-degree-of-freedom structures under a white noise type of wind excitation are proposed as quick guidance for industrial practice. These guidelines contain two major parts that serve two respective purposes. One is the design table that provides the list of necessary optimal parameters as well as the corresponding response reduction to be used as the design reference. The other is the empirical formula for reliably predicting the basic properties of TLCDs, especially for head loss coefficients, to ensure the design objectives can be achieved. In the first part, the solutions of optimal parameters in the design table are obtained through numerical optimization, by which it is also found that for a given mass ratio and horizontal length ratio, using a uniform cross-section for all columns can always achieve the best performance. To construct the prediction formula in the second part, TLCD property tests using free vibration and harmonic forced vibration techniques via a shake table are performed and the experimental results thus calibrated are used. Consequently, a modified formula to predict head loss coefficients for TLCDs with sharp-edged elbows is proposed as a guideline for designers. Finally, an example of the TLCD design is demonstrated by following the guidelines presented.