Study of curved surface sliding isolated structure with multiple bearings

Earthquake is one of the most devastating natural disasters in the world. Elastomeric bearings are costly for the low-rise residential buildings of developing countries. Thus, it is necessary to research low-cost and highly efficient frictional bearings. A dynamic model of Curved Surface Sliding Isolated Structure (CSSIS) will be studied under horizontal earthquakes. Theoretical derivation concentrates on identifying the design parameters that affect the accelerations, displacements and lift-off forces of seismic isolation bearings. Key factors consist of radius of curvature, coefficient of friction, and damping ratio of the superstructure. Sensitivity analysis is performed by the numerical simulation, followed by comparing the results of the analysis with the shaking table tests. As the curvature radius increases, the displacements of the superstructure enlarge, the accelerations remain stable and the reaction forces of seismic isolation bearings decrease simultaneously. On the other hand, if the friction coefficient increases, the displacements of the superstructure decreases, but the accelerations of the superstructure and the reaction forces get enlarged. Results prove that CSSIS can effectively control the sliding displacement, superstructure recovery and lift-off forces of seismic isolation layer. The current finding will have a broad application of low-rise residential buildings, especially in the developing countries.