Buckling Behavior of Seismic Isolation Bearings

면진 고무베어링의 좌굴거동

Laminated rubber bearings are widely used as a key component in seismic isolation of structural systems subjected to earthquake loadings. The combination of rubber layers and reinforcing steel shims makes the bearings conditionally unstable similar to buckling of ordinary columns. The shear flexibility of these short columns can lead to relatively low buckling Toads which may be further reduced when high shear strains are simultaneously imposed As an analytical approach, the area reduction formula has been proposed to account for the reduction in buckling load due to shear, but the degree of conservatism is unknown. In order to complement analytical approaches, a non-linear finite element analysis can be used. In this paper, a numerical study which aims at determining the effect of high shear strain on the critical load of elastomeric bearings is presented. From the load-displacement curve at each specified shear displacement, the buckling load can be obtained using the Southwell procedures. The results obtained are then compared against the theoretical predictions in order to examine the validity and the conservatism of the theoretical formulas.