Dynamic control of pre-stressed cable systems by using frictional sliding cables

Passive dynamic control with integrated dampers is an efficient strategy for the vibration of a cable-strut system. Except the rigid components, the flexible components are also a triable direction as the integrated damper, especially for the continuous cable systems. This paper proposes a novel dynamic control method for pre-stressed cable systems by using frictional sliding cables. Firstly, a simplified dynamic simulation method is introduced. The friction of sliding cables can be considered in the dynamic analysis of a continuous cable system. Secondly, two numerical examples with sliding cables including the types of Levy and Geiger are established. The results show that frictional sliding cables can reduce the structural dynamic response. Thirdly, a dynamic experiment of a Geiger-type cable dome with sliding ridge cables is carried out. The acceleration of the structure during vibration is recorded and compared with the results of the conventional configuration. The dome with sliding cables exhibits higher damping ratios, indicating superior vibration reduction capabilities. The frictional energy dissipation of this study can be taken as a dynamic control strategy for continuous cable structures during the design and analysis process. •A novel dynamic control method for pre-stressed cable systems is proposed.•An improved method for the dynamic analysis of frictional continuous cables is developed.•A physical model experiment of a Geiger-type cable dome with sliding ridge cables is built.