Academic Journal of Science and Technology 
ISSN: 2771-3032 | Vol. 5, No. 2, 2023 

 

213 

Research	and	Application	of	Negative	Stiffness	Device	
in	The	Field	of	Earthquake	Prevention	and	Disaster	
Reduction	
Ruixiang Guoa, Xiaosheng Song, Zihao Wei 

College of Architectural and Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China 
a1830063121@qq.com 

 

Abstract: The negative stiffness device can reduce the equivalent stiffness of the structure, and has a good control effect on 
the peak shear force and acceleration response. The combination with the structural vibration theory makes the negative stiffness 
device fully play its role, and at the same time improves the seismic capacity of the structure, forming a negative stiffness 
vibration control device. Through reading and sorting out the research achievements of domestic and foreign scholars, the 
research progress of negative stiffness devices in the field of earthquake prevention and disaster reduction is discussed from the 
aspects of theoretical development, effect, device application and development trend, and the future development is prospected. 

Keywords: Negative stiffness, Vibration control, Structural damping. 
 

1. Introduction 
Earthquake is a widely spread and destructive natural 

disaster that is difficult to predict. The occurrence of 
earthquakes causes buildings to collapse, terrain to change, 
and more importantly, it poses a huge threat to people's 
property safety and health. Damage is particularly prominent 
in densely populated areas, such as urban areas and industrial 
areas. At the same time, secondary disasters caused by 
earthquakes are also difficult to ignore. Tsunamis, plagues, 
pollution, and other issues are difficult to deal with. Therefore, 
the study of earthquake causes, earthquake warning, and 
earthquake protection is a common topic for mankind. 

China has a vast territory and a long coastline. Multiple 
plates, including the Philippine Sea plate and the Pacific plate, 
compress and interact with each other within our territory, 
leading to frequent earthquakes in our country and causing 
great distress to our people. Since 1900[1], there have been as 
many as 800 earthquakes with magnitudes above 6, and 
countless earthquakes with magnitudes below 6, causing 
enormous tragedy. According to statistics, over a hundred 
years, the number of people killed by earthquakes in China 
has reached 550000, and more than 300000 square kilometers 
of land have been affected by disasters. To cope with 
earthquakes that may strike at any time, improving the 
seismic capacity of buildings is an effective means to prevent 
buildings from being damaged and protect people's lives. 

2. The Emergence of Structural 
Vibration Control Theory 

The traditional seismic theory mainly improves the 
stiffness and strength of buildings by optimizing their 
structures, using high-performance materials, and other 
means. Its essence is to make buildings rely on their own 
resistance to earthquake energy and make the failure form of 
buildings as ductile as possible. However, due to the direct 
action of seismic energy on buildings, the structure of 
buildings under the guidance of this seismic theory often 
produces irreversible damage. 

In 1972, Yao[2] first proposed structural vibration control 
in the civil engineering field. The so-called structural 
vibration control is to avoid "hard contact" between structures 
and earthquakes, and instead reduce seismic losses by 
weakening, transferring, and isolating seismic energy so that 
it is not sufficient to cause destructive effects on the 
superstructure. From the perspective of whether external 
input is needed, structural vibration control theory can be 
divided into three categories: active control, passive control, 
and semi-active control. Active control is to control the 
motion of a structure by inputting external energy to the 
actuator to respond to different earthquake responses. 
Common ones include: tuning quality active control system, 
active anchor cable control system, gas pulse generator 
control system, etc. The effect of active control is good, 
especially in recent years, with the development of computing 
technology, the intelligent control method formed by the 
combination of vibration control and artificial intelligence is 
in the ascendant. However, active control requires a large 
amount of external energy input and has certain requirements 
for the applicability of the algorithm. Therefore, research on 
reducing energy requirements and seeking optimal algorithms 
for active control is still being advanced 

Passive control requires no external energy input, and is the 
addition of a subsystem to the structure to change the dynamic 
characteristics of the structure. Common ones 
include[3][4][5][6][7]: foundation isolation systems, energy 
dissipation and vibration reduction systems, etc. Passive 
control is an ideal vibration control method due to its simple 
structure, low cost, and no need for external input. However, 
how to improve seismic performance while playing a role in 
earthquakes of different intensities is an urgent problem to be 
solved. 

Semi active control is based on passive control by inputting 
a small amount of energy to change the parameters of the 
passive control system to achieve the best results. Common 
devices include: active variable stiffness devices, active 
variable damping devices, etc. Semi active control does not 
require too complex algorithms, and has a low demand for 
external energy, while the control effect is close to active 



 

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control, which has high research value. 

3. Effect of Negative Stiffness Device 
When a structure or component [8] is excited by a load, the 

increment of force acting on the structure ∆ F, and the 
increment of displacement caused by external loads Δ The 
ratio of X is called stiffness K. If the ratio of the two is 
positive, the value is positive, indicating positive stiffness; 
Conversely, if it is negative, it is negative stiffness. A negative 
stiffness device is one in which the stiffness of the device 

added to the structural system is negative. 
Whether passive vibration control or active or semi-active 

vibration control, it needs to rely on corresponding devices to 
achieve, and the use of most devices often increases the 
equivalent stiffness of the structure. The stiffness assembly 
increases the natural frequency of the structure and makes it 
difficult to control the acceleration response. The negative 
stiffness device can reduce the equivalent stiffness of the 
structure, thereby reducing the natural vibration period of the 
structure, and also has a certain control effect on the peak 
value of interlayer shear. 

 

 
Figure 1. Force displacement curve of positive stiffness device (left figure) and negative stiffness device (right figure) 

 
However, simple negative stiffness devices do not have the 

ability to dissipate and isolate seismic energy, and have a 
certain promotional effect on structural displacement. 
Therefore, combining negative stiffness devices with 
vibration control theory and combining the advantages of 
both, it can reduce the structural stiffness while improving the 
seismic capacity of the building. Because the essence of 
negative stiffness devices is to change the motion state of 
structures under earthquake loads, and active vibration 
control systems have the function of regulating and 
controlling the motion of structures, the combination of 
negative stiffness devices and vibration control theory often 
takes the form of passive control or semi-active control. 

4. Research on Negative Stiffness 
Vibration Control Device 

The study of the negative stiffness principle originated in 
the field of machinery. WG Monyneaux[9] proposed an ideal 
vibration isolation support model with zero stiffness to solve 
the interference of vibration on machinery. In this paper, the 
negative stiffness principle was first proposed to be applied to 
equipment vibration isolation. Since then, in the field of 
machinery[10][11][12], negative stiffness devices have 

received a large number of scholars' attention and research. 

4.1. 4.1 Semiactive negative stiffness control 
Initially, the introduction of the concept of negative 

stiffness into the field of earthquake prevention and disaster 
reduction began with the study of bridges. In 2003, H 
Iemura[13] proposed a variable damper pseudo-negative 
stiffness control strategy, which was applied to study the 
seismic response of cable-stayed bridges. It was found that 
the damping effect under pseudo-negative stiffness control 
was close to that of active control. This is an attempt to 
introduce negative stiffness control into the field of 
earthquake prevention and disaster reduction, but because this 
study is limited to simulation, it is inevitable that there are 
some discrepancies with actual results. Later, H Iemura[14] 
proposed a simplified semi-active control algorithm in 2005, 
which only concerns the displacement and velocity of 
dampers. The resulting negative stiffness output makes the 
structure exhibit nearly perfect plastic force deformation 
characteristics. In the performance study of cable bridges 
under semi-active negative stiffness control, Hui Li[15] 
proposed indicators to quantify the degree of negative 
stiffness. 

 

 
Figure 2. Control flow in H Iemura simulation 



 

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Subsequently, some scholars compared negative stiffness 

control with pure passive control, proving that the control 
effect of the former is far superior to the latter. In 2009, Shi 
Pengfei[16] conducted a study on the dynamic characteristics 
and damping effects of pseudo-negative stiffness damping 
structures, and compared them with viscous damping 
structures. He found that the use of pseudo-negative stiffness 
control extended the equivalent period of the structure. When 
the structure period was longer, pseudo-negative stiffness 
damping structures had better control effects on absolute 
acceleration, but weaker control on relative displacement than 
viscous damping structures. Based on evolutionary 
algorithms, C Boston[17][18] studied the optimal control of a 
negative stiffness variable damping device and applied it to a 

tuned mass damper. Numerical simulation shows that its 
effectiveness is superior to that of traditional tuned mass 
dampers. F Weber[19] has studied the performance of a 
negative stiffness viscous damper under semi-active control 
based on C Boston, and it has been proved that the superior 
damping performance of the device comes from the 
promotion of negative stiffness on the motion of the damper. 
Wu Bin[20] studied the flutter problem of pseudo-negative 
stiffness damping in numerical analysis, revealing the 
homogeneity of pseudo-negative stiffness control systems, 
and proving that pseudo-negative stiffness control is superior 
to passive control in terms of response spectrum, time delay, 
and stability. 

 

 
Figure 3. Schematic Diagram of Wu Bin's Real time Hybrid Test of Pseudo negative Stiffness Control 

 
In recent years, the emergence of magnetorheological 

damping devices has opened up a new direction for the 
research of semi-active negative stiffness control. MH 
Pradono[21] applies a negative stiffness device to an 
inductive magnetorheological damper, which dynamically 
adjusts the voltage input of the device at different stages of an 
earthquake to change the magnitude of the damping without 
actively changing the voltage. The device operates in a 
manner similar to passive negative stiffness control. J 
Høgsberg[22] proposed an adaptive control strategy for 
applying voltage to a semi-active magnetorheological damper, 

introducing negative stiffness to improve damping 
performance. Wei Shuli[23] proposes a modified hyperbolic 
tangent model for realizing negative stiffness control of 
Magnetorheological Dampers, and uses piecewise linear 
interpolation based on the model to achieve real-time 
damping force tracking. Gong Wei[24] has developed a 
magnetorheological fluid damper based on a pseudo-negative 
stiffness control algorithm, with a maximum output of 10kN. 
It exhibits good energy dissipation capacity under frequent, 
fortified, and rare earthquakes. 

 

 
Figure 4. Gong Wei's Structure Control System and Test Data Measurement System 

 
Research has shown that negative stiffness devices exhibit 

good adaptability in combination with semi-active control. 
Compared to simple semi-active control and passive control, 
semi-active negative stiffness control exhibits superior 



 

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performance in multiple aspects, and as research progresses, 
the two will exhibit diverse collaborative approaches. 

4.2. Passive negative stiffness control 
Passive negative stiffness control started relatively late, but 

has become the mainstream of research in recent years. 

Passive negative stiffness control originated from the research 
of S Nagarajaiah[25] in 2010, who developed an adaptive 
negative stiffness device that can change stiffness based on 
device displacement without requiring external input. 

By combining with various passive control methods, 
passive negative stiffness control forms different types. 

 

 
Figure 5. Adaptive negative stiffness device developed by S Nagarajaiah 

 

4.2.1. Viscous negative stiffness control 
Viscous negative stiffness control is the introduction of 

negative stiffness devices into viscous damping structures. 
The combination of negative stiffness devices with viscous 
dampers is the beginning of research on passive negative 
stiffness control.  

X Shi[26] combines a viscous damper and a magnetic 
negative stiffness spring to install on the transverse cable of a 
cable-stayed bridge, which not only has a superior vibration 
reduction effect compared to using only viscous dampers, but 
also improves the bending stiffness of the cable. AA Sarlis[27] 
combines a pre compressed spring and a clearance spring 
mechanism to form a passive spring negative stiffness device, 
and then parallels the device with a viscous damper to 
simulate the weakening of the structural system without 
causing inelastic deformation. Liu Wenguang[28] has 
developed a damping negative stiffness isolation device with 
viscosity, using a traditional lead rubber bearing isolation 
system and an isolation system with negative stiffness device 
to compare and analyze an actual high-rise building. It is 
found that the effect of the isolation system with negative 
stiffness is more prominent. 

 

 
Figure 6. Negative stiffness isolation device developed by 

Liu Wenguang 
Liu Tao[29] proposed a passive variable stiffness isolation 

bearing with three stages of deformation, consisting of a 
negative stiffness spring assembly, viscous dampers, and 
rubber bearings, which are effective for both lateral and 
vertical vibrations. Yang Qiaorong[30] developed a curved 
track negative stiffness isolation device based on the 
background of nuclear power plant isolation. After adding 
viscous dampers, the hysteretic curve of the isolation layer 
presents a nonlinear trend of small in the middle and wide at 
both ends. Compared with traditional power plant isolation 
designs, the effect is better. 

 

 
Figure 7. Negative stiffness isolation device for curved 

track 

4.2.2. Friction type negative stiffness control 
Friction negative stiffness control is a combination of a 

negative stiffness device and a friction damper. This device 
usually has the characteristics of simple structure, low cost, 
and stable performance. 

Chen Y[31] has designed a nonlinear energy absorption 
device that exhibits negative stiffness, connecting a spring to 
a mass, and consuming energy using the sliding friction of the 
mass. It exhibits high efficiency in reducing structural 
response. Fang Guowei [32] avoided the problem of negative 
stiffness friction damping devices in building layout and 



 

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distribution, and proposed a negative stiffness friction 
damping device arranged at the bottom of the building. This 
device has simple structure, low cost, and stable mechanical 

performance. Sun Tianwei [33] combines a nitrogen spring 
with a translational friction damper to increase the overall 
negative stiffness output and reduce the peak shear force. 

 

 
Figure 8. Negative stiffness friction damper developed by Sun Tianwei 

 

4.2.3. Tuned negative stiffness control 
Tuned negative stiffness control combines a negative 

stiffness device with a tuned mass damper to improve the 
performance of the latter. 

In order to solve the problem of mismatch between the 
frequency of the tuned mass damper and the natural frequency 
of the structure, Wang Zhihao[34] attached an inertial 
flywheel and ball screw mechanism that had an apparent 
negative stiffness effect to the tuned mass damper, which 
played a good role in adjusting its frequency. Chen 
Yangyang[35] introduced a negative stiffness device into a 
nonlinear energy trap, which produces a more significant and 
sustained instantaneous internal resonance capture behavior 
on the main structure than traditional tuned mass dampers. 
Yin Guangzhao[36] proposed a magnetically induced 
negative stiffness eddy current inertial mass damper. 
Compared to displacement type negative stiffness devices, the 
negative stiffness output exhibits a "quasi constant" behavior, 
which is conducive to structural stiffness parameterization. 

 

 
Figure 9. Magnetically induced negative stiffness eddy 

current inertial damper 
 

4.2.4. Negative stiffness control combined with metal 
dampers 

This form of negative stiffness control is rarely studied. It 
is more classic for Sun Tong[37] to combine SMA metal 
dampers with the developed rail type negative stiffness device, 
which reduces the bottom shear force while also limiting the 
midspan displacement. 

 

 
Figure 10. Rail mounted SMA negative stiffness device 

5. Summary 
This article focuses on the combination of negative 

stiffness devices and vibration control theory in the field of 
earthquake prevention and disaster reduction, and expounds 
the development of vibration control theory, the effect of 
negative stiffness devices, and the research on negative 
stiffness vibration control devices. From the perspective of 
results, negative stiffness devices have significant effects on 
reducing structural acceleration responses and shear forces, 
and exhibit good coordination and plasticity in combination 
with vibration control theory, enabling vibration control 
devices with negative stiffness characteristics to achieve an 
effect of "1+1" greater than "2". 

Considering the increasing seismic requirements brought 
about by the rapid development of society and the superior 
performance of negative stiffness vibration control devices, 
the research on negative stiffness vibration control is potential 
and necessary. 

Based on existing research, there are several prospects for 
negative stiffness control: 

(1) The biggest obstacle to the practical application of 



 

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negative stiffness devices is still the problem of insufficient 
negative stiffness output, which is urgently needed to be 
resolved in the process of application. 

(2) Passive negative stiffness control is the mainstream of 
research, but it does not mean that semi-active control is not 
popular. At least for now, semi-active control still has 
advantages that the former does not have. 

(3) The quantification and parameterization of negative 
stiffness plays an important role in the subsequent 
development of negative stiffness control. 

(4) The full-scale test of most negative stiffness control 
devices is difficult, and the simulation results may deviate 
from the actual situation to some extent. More reasonable and 
accurate test methods should be explored. 

(5) The energy dissipation capability of negative stiffness 
control is limited by energy dissipation devices such as 
dampers, and the development and optimization of such 
devices can promote the effectiveness of negative stiffness 
control. 

(6) The integration of negative stiffness devices and 
vibration control devices needs to be further promoted. 

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