Applications of Multiple Trench Friction Pendulum System to Seismic Mitigation of Structures

Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
Jeng-Wen Lin ◽  
Yung-Chang Lin ◽  
Chia-Chi Chen

In order to promote seismic resistance capability of structures and simplify the manufacturing processes of an isolator, a new base isolation system called the multiple trench friction pendulum system (MTFPS) is proposed. The investigations for the proposed isolator have been carried out to address its mechanical characteristics and to assess its performance in seismic mitigation through a series of shaking table tests in this study. The MTFPS isolator can provide different natural periods, displacement capacities and damping effects in any two independent directions. The natural period and damping effect for a MTFPS isolator change continually during earthquakes. Results from the shaking table tests on a scaled three-story structure isolated with MTFPS isolators illustrate that the proposed MTFPS isolator can isolate most earthquake induced energy and provide good protection for structures from earthquake damage. In addition, the mathematical formulations for the MTFPS isolator have also been derived to examine its characteristics.

Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
Wen-Shin Chen ◽  
Yung-Chang Lin ◽  
Chi-Lu Lin

In order to prevent a building near a fault from earthquake damage, in this study an advanced base isolation system called the multiple direction optimized-friction pendulum system (Multiple DO-FPS or MDO-FPS) is proposed and examined to address its mechanical behavior through the finite element formulation and evaluate its efficiency in seismic mitigation through a series of shaking table tests. On the basis of the finite element formulation, it is revealed that the natural period, the capacity of the bearing displacement and damping effect for the Multiple Direction Optimized-Friction Pendulum System (Multiple DO-FPS) change continually during earthquakes. Therefore, the MDO-FPS isolator can avoid possibility of resonance of enriched frequencies from ground motions and provide an efficient capacity of the bearing displacement and damping during the earthquakes. Simultaneously, the shaking table test results also illustrate that the Multiple DO-FPS isolator possesses an outstanding seismic mitigation capabilities.


Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
Yung-Chang Lin ◽  
Wen-Shin Chen

Seismic mitigation of high-tech facilities is a very important issue in earthquake prone areas such as Taiwan, Japan, U.S.A., etc. In order to lessen vulnerability of earthquake damage of high-tech equipment, base isolation seems to be a good choice. This paper mainly explores the possibility of using a new base isolation system named the trench friction pendulum system (TFPS) to reduce seismic responses of high-tech facilities. The main reasons, from a engineer’s point of view, to use this system for protecting high-tech equipment from earthquake damage are high efficiency and low cost. A series of shaking table tests for a high-tech facility isolated with TFPS isolators were carried out in the Department of Civil Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC. The experimental results show that the proposed system provides a good protection for the high-tech facility during strong earthquakes.


Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
Yung-Chang Lin ◽  
H. C. Su

In order to prevent a building from earthquake damage, a base isolation system called the multiple friction pendulum system (MFPS) which has numerous concave sliding interfaces is proposed to isolate a building from its foundation. Mathematical formulations have been derived to simulate the characteristic of the MFPS isolation system subjected to multi-directional excitations. By virtue of the derived mathematical formulations, the phenomena of the sliding motions of the MFPS isolator with several concave sliding interfaces under multi-directional earthquakes can be clearly understood. Also, numerical analyses of a building isolated with the MFPS isolator with several sliding interfaces have been conducted in this study to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed system in seismic mitigation. It has been proved through numerical analyses that structural responses have been reduced significantly and that the proposed system is a good tool to insure the safety of structures during earthquakes.


2006 ◽  
Vol 35 (13) ◽  
pp. 1653-1675 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
Wen-Shin Chen ◽  
Tsu-Cheng Chiang ◽  
Bo-Jen Chen

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 2321-2329 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.S. Tsai ◽  
Po-Ching Lu ◽  
Wen-Shin Chen ◽  
Tsu-Cheng Chiang ◽  
Chen-Tsung Yang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
Ching-Pei Tsou ◽  
Yung-Chang Lin ◽  
Mei-Ju Chen ◽  
Wen-Shin Chen

Earthquake ground motions often result in significant seismic disasters. Strong ground motions will not only cause damage, but may also cause the collapse of structures. People have to face up the suffering from the earthquake damage, and the indirect loss which may be more serious than the damage itself. For example, the antique breaks in museum, and the equipment damages in hi-tech industries are often in huge loss. Therefore, in addition to promoting the earthquake-resistant capacity of a structure, it is also important to ensure the safety of the ancient valuable objects and the instruments in structures. For this reason, this study is aimed at a new damped rolling type base isolation system named the ball pendulum system (BPS) to be installed under the motion sensitive equipment and proceeding all related studies. The isolation device can isolate earthquake from buildings or equipments in any direction by rolling motions and damping materials. This study has conducted a series of component tests and shaking table tests for examining the behaviors of materials and earthquake proof benefits. From the experiment results, it is found that this device can reduce more than 80% of acceleration response under earthquakes with peak ground acceleration of 450 gal. So, the new rolling isolation system with a damping material can be recognized as a feasible and promising way in mitigating the seismic response of equipment.


Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
Y. M. Wang ◽  
H. C. Su

Presented in this paper is the performance evaluation of the multiple friction pendulum system (MFPS) with multiple sliding interfaces on seismic mitigation through a series of shaking table tests of a full scale MFPS-isolated building. In the tests, a three-story steel building of 40 tons in total weight, 3m and 4.5m in two horizontal directions and 9m in height, was equipped with MFPS isolators each with 4 sliding interfaces and subjected to various types of earthquakes to examine the efficiency of the isolators in reducing seismic response of a structure. Experimental results from shaking table tests tells that the roof accelerations, base shears, column shear forces have been significantly lessened with negligible residual displacements in the isolators while compared to the responses of a fixed-base structure.


2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1157-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donatello Cardone ◽  
Peyman Narjabadifam ◽  
Domenico Nigro

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