Second generation of active structural control in civil engineering

Research and development in active control of civil engineering structures in the United States has approximately a 20-year history. Under the leadership of the U.S. National Science Foundation in forming the U.S. Panel on Structural Control Research and in launching a program initiative in the area of structural control, there has been a surge of interest in this research field. Recent progress in active control research in the United States is first summarized in this paper. In the second part, an attempt is made to identify areas of research needs and to recommend future directions for the next generation of active control activities in civil engineering.