This is an engineering research equipment grant for acquisition of a four-channel modal analysis system and a real-time digital control system which will be dedicated to interdisciplinary research in engineering. The equipment will be used primarily at the present time to support an ongoing NSF sponsored research effort between civil and electrical engineering on robust and nonlinear feedback control of structures for earthquake hazard mitigation. The modal analysis system will allow for accurate determination of mathematical models from which appropriate control strategies can be developed and allow prescribed modelling uncertainties and errors to be introduced to assess the robustness and performance of the controlled structure. The real- time digital control system will allow advanced control theories to be implemented and verified. This equipment will accelerate development of control strategies that more effectively compensate for the inherent uncertainty that can plague controlled performance in full-scale structures. Further, the equipment will assist in delineating between various promising control strategies and used to better focus research efforts into facets of the problem which are most beneficial.
