Seismic response analysis of base isolated structures with high damping elastomeric bearings

Seismic response analysis of base-isolated structures with high damping elastomeric bearings is described in this paper. Emphasis is placed on the adaptation of a nonlinear constitutive model for the isolation bearing together with the treatment of foundation embedment for the soil-structure-interaction analysis. The constitutive model requires six input parameters derived from bearing experimental data under sinusoidal loading. The characteristic behavior of bearing, such as the variation of shear modulus and material damping with the change of maximum shear deformation, can be captured closely by the formulation. In the treatment of soil embedment a spring method is utilized to evaluate the foundation input motion as well as soil stiffness and damping. The above features have been incorporated into a three-dimensional system response program, SISEC, developed at Argonne National Laboratory. Sample problems are presented to illustrate the relative response of isolated and unisolated structures