Offline and Online Performance Contrast of Optimal Control

Civil structures are quite vulnerable to extreme dynamic loads as well as to nat ural disasters. The aforementioned problem is well-known and interestingly, unavoidable as it is almost impossible to know when that type of loads or disasters are going to hit the existing structures. Due to such unpredictability, many are interested to adopt the online or real-time control and monitoring strategy instead of conventional approach. However, still offline moni toring and vibration control strategies are useful to understand the overall performance of the investigated dynamical problem as it might not be an option to go for online due to feasibility or other constrains. In order to hold a debate, herein, the controlled performance of a multi degree-of-freedom system has investigated both adopting offline and online approaches. The linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) algorithm has been employed as the control law and it is as sumed that controller will behave as an active control system. In order to understand the effect of the optimal control, the displacements and velocities at different degree-of-freedom’s level have considered and compared. The outcome suggests that both approaches have advantages and disadvantages such as offline approach is quite useful to understand at the design phase of the project, while, online approach might be very effected after the construction.