• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.37-52
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• 2019

Despite its success and wide application, base isolation system has been challenged for its passive nature, i.e., incapable of working with versatile external loadings. This is particularly exaggerated during near-source earthquakes and earthquakes with dominate low-frequency components. To address this issue, many efforts have been explored, including active base isolation system and hybrid base isolation system (with added controllable damping). Active base isolation system requires extra energy input which is not economical and the power supply may not be available during earthquakes. Although with tunable energy dissipation ability, hybrid base isolation systems are not able to alter its fundamental natural frequency to cope with varying external loadings. This paper reports an overview of new adventure with aim to develop adaptive base isolation system with controllable stiffness (thus adaptive natural frequency). With assistance of the feedback control system and the use of smart material technology, the proposed smart base isolation system is able to realize real-time decoupling of external loading and hence provides effective seismic protection against different types of earthquakes.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.397-428
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• 2013

This paper examines whether the "effective period" of bilinear isolation systems, as defined invariably in most current design codes, expresses in reality the period of vibration that appears in the horizontal axis of the design response spectrum. Starting with the free vibration response, the study proceeds with a comprehensive parametric analysis of the forced vibration response of a wide collection of bilinear isolation systems subjected to pulse and seismic excitations. The study employs Fourier and Wavelet analysis together with a powerful time domain identification method for linear systems known as the Prediction Error Method. When the response history of the bilinear system exhibits a coherent oscillatory trace with a narrow frequency band as in the case of free vibration or forced vibration response from most pulselike excitations, the paper shows that the "effective period" = $T_{eff}$ of the bilinear isolation system is a dependable estimate of its vibration period; nevertheless, the period associated with the second slope of the bilinear system = $T_2$ is an even better approximation regardless the value of the dimensionless strength,$Q/(K_2u_y)=1/{\alpha}-1$, of the system. As the frequency content of the excitation widens and the intensity of the acceleration response history fluctuates more randomly, the paper reveals that the computed vibration period of the systems exhibits appreciably scattering from the computed mean value. This suggests that for several earthquake excitations the mild nonlinearities of the bilinear isolation system dominate the response and the expectation of the design codes to identify a "linear" vibration period has a marginal engineering merit.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.185-196
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• 2019

One of the shortcomings of seismic bridge design codes is the lack of clarity in defining the role of different seismic isolation systems with linear or nonlinear behavior in terms of R-factor. For example, based on AASHTO guide specifications for seismic isolation design, R-factor for all substructure elements of isolated bridges should be half of those expressed in the AASHTO standard specifications for highway bridges (i.e., R=3 for single columns and R=5 for multiple column bent) but not less than 1.50. However, no distinction is made between two commonly used types of seismic isolation devices, i.e., elastomeric rubber bearing (ERB) with linear behavior, and lead rubber bearing (LRB) with nonlinear behavior. In this paper, five existing bridges located in Iran with two types of deck-pier connection including ERB and LRB isolators, and two bridge models with monolithic deck-pier connection are developed and their R-factor values are assessed based on the Uang's method. The average R-factors for the bridges with ERB isolators are calculated as 3.89 and 4.91 in the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively, which are not in consonance with the AASHTO guide specifications for seismic isolation design (i.e., R=3/2=1.5 for the longitudinal direction and R=5/2=2.5 for the transverse direction). This is a clear indicator that the code-prescribed R-factors are conservative for typical bridges with ERB isolators. Also for the bridges with LRB isolators, the average computed R-factors equal 1.652 and 2.232 in the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively, which are in a good agreement with the code-specified R-factor values. Moreover, in the bridges with monolithic deck-pier connection, the average R-factor in the longitudinal direction is obtained as 2.92 which is close to the specified R-factor in the bridge design codes (i.e., 3), and in the transverse direction is obtained as 2.41 which is about half of the corresponding R-factor value in the specifications (i.e., 5).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.601-611
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• 2016

The research, development and use of seismic isolation systems have been increasing with the gradual development of structure safety assurance methods for earthquakes. The High Damping Rubber Bearing (HDRB), one type of seismic isolation system, is a Laminated Rubber Bearing using special High Damping Rubber. However, as its damping function is slightly lower than that of the Lead Rubber Bearing, a similar seismic isolation system, its utilization has not been high. However, the HDRB has a superior damping force to the Natural Rubber Bearing, which has similar materials and shapes, and the existing Lead Rubber Bearing has a maleficence problem in that it contains lead. Thus, studies on HDRBs that do not use lead have increased. In this study, a test targeting the HDRB was done to examine its various dependence properties, such as its compressive stress, frequency and repeated loading. To evaluate the HDRB's seismic performance in response to several earthquake waves, the shaking table test was performed and the results analyzed. The test used the downscaled bridge model and the HDRB was divided into seismic and non-seismic isolation. Consequently, when the HDRB was applied, the damping effect was higher in the non-seismic case. However, its responses on weak foundations, such as in Mexico City, represented increased shapes. Thus, its seismic isolator.

• Proceeding of KASS Symposium
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.133-138
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• 2008

In this study, the seismic behavior of arch structure with lead rubber bearing(LRB) is analyzed. The arch structure is the simplest structure and has the basic dynamic characteristics among large spatial structures. Also, Large spatial structures have large vertical response by horizontal seismic vibration, unlike seismic behavior of normal rahmen structures. When horizontal seismic load is applied to the large spatial structure with isolation systems, the horizontal acceleration response of the large spatial structure is reduced and the vertical seismic response is remarkably reduced.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.127-134
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• 2008

For more districted seismic design and attemped multi-bridge continuity, the existing seismic design is difficulted to treat seismic activity. So, many company applied multi-fixed point and damper or isolator, which is effective for decreasing seismic energy, on period shift, decentralization and damping. But, there is hard to design special bridge with adjusted seismic system because of absence seismic device and insufficient design experience. Therefore, the study on behavior characteristics of designed bridge with various seismic device is performed to utilize the result of this for selection of adequate seismic device.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.401-413
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• 2019

The concept of base isolation for equipment is well known. Its application in buildings and structures is rather challenging. Introduction of horizontal flexibility at the base helps in proper energy dissipation at the base level thus reducing the seismic demand of the super structure to be considered during design. The present study shows the results of a series of numerical simulation studies on seismic responses of secondary system (SS) housed in non-isolated and base-isolated primary structures (PS) including equipment-structure interactions. For this study the primary structure consists of two similar single bay three-store reinforced cement concrete (RCC) Frame building, one non-isolated with conventional foundation and another base isolated with Lead plug bearings (LPB) constructed at IIT Guwahati, while the secondary system is modeled as a steel frame. Time period of the base isolated building is higher than the fixed building. Due to the presence of isolator, Acceleration response is significantly reduced in both (X and Y) direction of Building. It have been found that when compared to fixed base building, the base isolated building gives better performance in high seismic prone areas.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.371-378
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• 2002

The design concepts using vibration reduction techniques, or structural control, have been proposed recently to protect infrastructure against earthquakes. The magnetorheological(MR) fluid damper is one of the most promising new devices for structural vibration reduction because of its mechanical simplicity, high dynamic range, low power requirement, large force capacity and robustness. In this study, the seismic performance of MR devices are compared with that of NZ systems as an attempt to provide some data for improving seismic design techniques applied to structures. For nonlinear time domain analysis of a base isolation system, a six-story building model is considered as a numerical example. The ground acceleration data of El Centre 1940, Mexico City 1985 and Kobe 1995 earthquakes are used as seismic excitations. The results show that MR damper systems for outperform NZ systems in wide-ranging seismic excitations with respect to intensity and period characteristics.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.527-534
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• 2003

This paper presents the LRB-based hybrid base isolation systems employing additional active/semiactive control devices for seismic protection of cable-stayed bridges by examining the ASCE first generation benchmark problem for a cable-stayed bridge. In this study, ideal hydraulic actuators (HAs) and ideal magnetorheological dampers (MRDs) are considered as additional active and semiactive control devices, respectively. Numerical simulation results show that all the hybrid base isolation systems are effective in reducing the structural responses of the benchmark cable-stayed bridge under the historical earthquakes considered. The simulation results also demonstrate that the hybrid base isolation system employing semiactive MRBs is robust to the stiffness uncertainty of the structure, while the hybrid system with active HAs is not. Therefore, the LRB-based hybrid base isolation system employing MRDs could be more appropriate in real applications for full-scale civil infrastructures.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.403-410
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• 2003

This paper presents the results of experimental studies on the equipment isolation effect in the nuclear containment. For this purpose, shaking table tests were performed. The isolation system, known as Friction Pendulum System (FPS), combines the concepts of sliding bearings and pendulum motion was selected. Peak ground acceleration, bidirectional motion, effect of vertical motion and frequency contents of selected earthquake motions were considered. Finally, it is presented that the FPS systems are effective for the small equipment isolation. Key word equipment isolation, nuclear containment, shaking table test, Friction Pendulum System (FPS)