Assessment of a hydraulic bottle jack as an effective device for controlling vibration and mitigating the effects of earthquakes

Abstract

The aim of this work was to assess the capability of a hydraulic bottle jack to control vibrations and the effects of earthquakes. The first stage of the present investigation focused on determining the axial stiffness of the apparatus, in order to relate its behavior to that of a linear elastic element. To do this, uniaxial compression tests were carried out using a manually controlled servo system. In the second stage, a conceptual application based on the field of mechanical vibrations was considered. The experimental results confirmed the hypothesis of linear behavior and showed that the stiffness coefficient had distinct values of magnitude that depended on the cylinder height. Simulations were conducted in which the frequencies and the peak displacements of an idealized SDOF system subjected to earthquake excitation were adjusted based on the experimental stiffness. It was possible to conclude that the equipment analyzed here is an effective tool for controlling vibration and reducing displacement during a seismic event, and can be calibrated according to the specific conditions of operation. This is an important aspect of safety and functionality for mechanical and structural systems.