Towards smart building structures : adaptive structures in earthquake and wind loading control response – a review

This article is a review about applications for non-passive control response of buildings (namely active, hybrid and semi-active systems), wherein the degree of integration between control devices and structural system is explored. The purpose is to establish the current state-of-the-art in the development of ‘smart building structures’. A proper framework is proposed, therefore, for concepts such as ‘intelligent’, ‘smart’ and ‘adaptive’ while they make reference to a building which possesses an actively controlled response. Geometrical integration between control device and structural system is addressed as the key to allow further improvements in the achievement of truly ‘smart’ structures. Conclusions point out the fact that despite the advances done – especially in the field of structural control technology – there is no integration of devices within the host structures, and the reasons why further research must be developed in this direction