WHILE THERE ARE TUNED MASS DAMPERS IN USE IN TALL BUILDINGS NOW THE INSTALLED COST OF THESE UNITS HAVE BEEN IN THE RANGEOF SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

WHILE THERE ARE TUNED MASS DAMPERS IN USE IN TALL BUILDINGS NOW THE INSTALLED COST OF THESE UNITS HAVE BEEN IN THE RANGEOF SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. NO RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO BRING THE COSTS DOWN BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF SUCH UNITS IN SERVICE IS SMALL. YET, TALL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES SUCH AS THE JOHN HANCOCK BUILDING IN BOSTON AND THE CN TOWER IN TORONTO, WERE EQUIPPED WITH TUNED DAMPER SYSTEMS BY FOLLOWING STATE-OF-THE ART TECHNOLOGY, LEADING IN BOTH CASESTO EXPENSIVE SYSTEMS. IN DISCUSSIONS WITH CHARLES N. TSECKARES, AIA, OF THE ARCHITECT FIRM OF THE SAME NAME, IT APPEARS THAT THE REQUIRED RETROFIT OF NEWLY-ERECTED TALL STRUCTURES AND BUILDINGS, SUCH AS MENTIONED ABOVE, IS AN AREA THAT REQUIRES RESEARCH - ESPECIALLY IF IT IS DIRECTED TO THE COST-REDUCTION FOR SUCH SYSTEMS. MR. TSECKARES WILL PROVIDEADVICE TO THIS PROJECT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE ARCHITECT. THIS FIRST PHASE STUDY WILL EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF SANDAMPER TECHNOLOGY AS APPLIED TO THE DAMPING OF TALL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES. ITS SUCCESS AND EXTENSIVE APPLICATION ALREADY TO THE GUY-WIRES OF TALL TV TOWERS AFFORDS A HIGH DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE PROPOSED STUDY UNDER THE SBIR PHASE I PROJECT.