The prediction and control of dynamic interactions between tall buildings and high-rise vertical transportation systems subject to seismic excitations

Excitations due to earthquake result in large responses of tall buildings. Those in turn affect modular vertical transportation systems such as high-rise elevators. In this paper a nonlinear model of dynamic interactions between the building structure and a high-rise elevator system is developed and discussed. The natural frequencies of tall buildings become near the natural frequencies of the car/ counterweight suspension- guide rail in traction-drive elevator systems. This results in resonance interactions with car/ counterweight suspension and compensating ropes that sway and are getting entangled with other equipment in the well. The paper shows that the application of transverse tuned mass dampers (TMD) can reduce the dynamic responses in the system. Thus, the TMD can be deployed as a protective measure to mitigate the associated hazards.