Results Obtained from Testing a Hybrid Model of Vibration Isolation System

Abstract

The achievement of new civil and industrial buildings or the rehabilitation of old ones involves using special systems designed to avoid the dynamic requests represented by shocks, vibrations or seismic actions. Such systems are already used worldwide in various modern building structures but also for bridges or viaducts. Whether it is about isolation or energy dissipative systems they provide a high degree of stability and safety in exploitation for the structures to which they are attached. Elastomeric bearings and dry friction based systems are already used for equipping bridges and viaducts structural types in order to avoid the sudden ground movements that can occur with the advent of an earthquake. This paper proposes an experimental model for a hybrid isolation system composed of elastomeric bearings and rolling pendulum system, disposed on the vertical direction in the same assembly. It is expected that from both systems a better isolation can be achieved against the effects of dynamic loads that affect the structures. Laboratory tests were carried out using a reduced scale experimental model of the hybrid isolation system and the results are shown in the following.