AbstractThis paper is an extended summary of the dissertation presented by the author for the Ph.D degree in civil engineering at the University of Pavia.The aim of the dissertation is the design and the experimental validation of an active control scheme, the simulation of possible real operating problems (such as sensor failures) and the reliability assessment of the active control system. The goal is to identify and discuss a scenario of possible problems the designer will meet in implementing an active control scheme.The work consists of a preliminary theoretical part, necessary for the implementation of the active control system, an experimental activity on a suitably scaled structural model and a reliability analysis of the adopted active control system.