Design and analysis of an active mass damper for the seismic retrofit of a bridge pier

This work was carried out during an internship at ISAAC Srl, Milan. Nonlinear time history analyses were performed to study seismic behavior and assess retrofit solutions for buildings. These analyses enhanced the understanding of structural dynamics under seismic loads and highlighted effective retrofit techniques. The focus was the application of Active Mass Dampers (AMD) as a seismic retrofit strategy to improve structural response. Building on this, I extended the study to a bridge by designing the deck, a pier and applying AMDs to the tallest pier. This transition broadened the analysis to explore AMD adaptability in mitigating seismic effects on infrastructure. The study involved modeling AMD systems in SAP2000 and analyzing their effects through simulations. The effectiveness of AMDs was evaluated by comparing structural responses across configurations, assessing top displacement, base shear, and internal forces. Results showed that AMDs significantly reduce seismic response, improving both safety and performance. AMDs offer key advantages: they require minimal intervention, ensuring continuous serviceability of infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Moreover, AMDs provide continuous structural monitoring, enabling real-time performance assessment and damage detection. This feature enhances safety by identifying issues promptly, reducing invasive inspections, and improving maintenance strategies. Their non-invasive installation makes AMDs ideal for enhancing seismic resilience in existing structures without major reconstruction.