ECCOMAS 2024

Finite element analysis of a rigid body isolated with high-damping unbonded fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators

  • Pianese, Gaetano (Politecnico di Milano)
  • Van Engelen, Niel (University of Windsor)
  • Milani, Gabriele (Politecnico di Milano)

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Fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators (FREIs) stand as a recent advancement in seismic isolation technology, primarily designed to alleviate manufacturing and production costs [1,2]. Unlike conventional steel-reinforced elastomeric isolators (SREIs), FREIs incorporate fiber fabric layers instead of steel laminas for reinforcement. This substitution not only reduces costs but also results in a seismic device with good isolation properties [3–5]. Of particular significance are unbonded fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators (UFREIs) when employed without bonding or fastening between the superstructure and foundations [6]. In such configurations, UFREIs exhibit noteworthy lateral deformation, displaying high damping properties and lower stiffness compared to their bonded counterparts in traditional applications [5,7]. This study engages in a comprehensive exploration of the seismic isolation characteristics of high-damping UFREIs. Utilizing the Finite Element (FE) software Abaqus, a rigid body isolated by two UFREIs has been modeled and subjected to 2D non-linear time history analyses. The results, encompassing acceleration, displacements, and horizontal forces of the rigid body, have been meticulously compared to experimental findings from a prior study conducted by the authors (shake table tests). Beyond the commendable isolation properties of devices, the results validate the UFREI FE model as a suitable representation for understanding device behavior in future structural analyses. This validation is particularly crucial, given the possibility of developing a model based on simple laboratory material tests involving rubber and fiber.