The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Experimental evaluation of seismic isolation of a 9-story braced steel frame subject to uplift

Griffith, Michael C.; Aiken, Ian D.; Kelly, James M.

UCB/EERC-88/05, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1988-05, 132 pages (530/G75/1988B)

The results are presented of the second phase of an experimental study. This phase of the research consisted of earthquake simulator tests on a 1/4-scale, nine-story braced steel frame with height to width ratio of 1.59. The main objectives of the study were to: (1) evaluate the feasibility of base isolation for medium-rise structures subject to column uplift during severe seismic loads; (2) evaluate the relative effectiveness of two types of base isolation bearings, neoprene and natural rubber with lead plug, against a wide range of earthquake ground motions; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of the response spectrum method for predicting maximum bearing displacement and base shear. The test results are compared with values given by the tentative base isolation design provisions proposed by the Seismology Committee of the Structural Engineers Assn. of Northern California.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-88-05.pdf (7 MB)