PASSIVE CONTROL OF STRUCTURES USING SLIDING ISOLATORS AT INTERMEDIATE FLOOR LEVELS

Amit J. Thoriya, Mazhar A. Dhankot

Abstract: Base isolation or seismic isolation enables the reduction in earthquake forces by lengthening the natural time period of structure; hence it is significantly effective in low and mid-rise buildings with less than 10 stories. Taller building with height more than 10 storey already have larger time period and the effectiveness of base isolation is reduced., In this paper an attempt has made to study the feasibility of sliding isolation at intermediate floor levels. Two R.C.C. building 12 storey and 18 storey are analyzed by dividing each building into different segment and each segment is isolated with Friction Pendulum isolators. The response of structure with isolators at multiple floor levels are studied with 1940 El Centro, 1994 Northbridge and 1995 Kobe time-history and responses are compared to the conventional fixed base structure and with structures isolated at base. Considerable reduction is observed in the building isolated at intermediate floor level.

Keywords: Base isolation, friction pendulum system, time history, segmental buildings.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2014.0304118