The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Natural rubber isolation systems for earthquake protection of low-cost buildings

Taniwangsa, Wendy; Clark, Peter W.; Kelly, James M.

UCB/EERC-95/12, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1995, 98 pages (525/T26/1996)

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has, over the past five years, sponsored a research program for the development of low-cost natural rubber isolation systems for the seismic protection of public housing in developing countries. This program has led to demonstration buildings in China and Indonesia. This report describes the experimental studies on multi-layer high-damping natural rubber bearings with recessed end connections used in those demonstration buildings. An experimental program using samples of full-size bearings from the building in China was carried out to evaluate the properties of the isolators. The effects of the large displacement on the virgin bearings and the effects of the axial pressure on the isolator properties were investigated. In addition, roll-out tests were also performed. An extensive experimental program using samples of full-size bearings from the building in Indonesia was carried out to evaluate the dynamic properties for the isolators, and the factors that affect these properties. In addition, roll-out tests, real-time tests, and cyclic vertical tests were also performed.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-95-12.pdf (4 MB)