Implementation of active mass damping for wind-induced vibration mitigation: The Genoa Control Tower

The newly constructed “Torre Piloti” in the Port of Genoa, a 65-meter steel control tower, is both a critical piece of infrastructure and a future architectural landmark. Owing to its slender geometry and exposed waterfront location, the tower is particularly susceptible to wind-induced vibrations. During the tower design phase, this raised concerns about occupant comfort, and prompted the need to implement effective vibration mitigation measures. This paper presents the development and implementation of an Active Mass Damper (AMD) system tailored to address the specific challenges identified. A simulation-driven design approach was adopted. Finite Element (FE) models, calibrated with wind tunnel test results and CNR-DT 207/2008 wind loading guidelines, were used to determine target damping levels. Time-history analyses guided the specification of AMD characteristics, such as mass, stroke, and actuator force, leading to the design of an inertial actuator powered by linear electric motors. A Multi-Modal Negative Acceleration Feedback (MMNAF) algorithm was developed to emulate ideal damping behavior across the structure’s fundamental modes. Four custom AMD units were installed within the tower’s upper structure, and a series of in-situ tests demonstrated that the control system effectively increased structural damping to the required levels, with measured responses closely matching numerical predictions. Ongoing monitoring via a distributed sensor network will support future analysis of the system’s performance under real wind events. This work demonstrates the successful application of advanced active control technologies in a challenging, high-performance structural context and provides a valuable reference for future implementations in similarly constrained environments.