SEISMIC ISOLATION

--- Get to know about seismic isolation ---

The Japan Society of Seismic Isolation

 Protecting human life
What is seismic isolation? and property from earthquakes

Mechanism of a seismically isolated building

Seismic isolation is a method of protecting a building

from major earthquakes.
Vibration of the
Isolators are installed between a building and the ground building is reduced.
to reduce vibrations that transmit to a building. Seismic isolator
It is as if the building were in a condition of floating
in the air above the ground.
This building is called a seismically isolated building. Ground
An
earthquake
strikes!

Seismic isolation can be applied not only

to buildings but also to houses.
 Protecting human life
What is seismic isolation? and property from earthquakes

How buildings sway during an earthquake

Ordinary building

Earthquake vibrations transmit directly The building sways violently when an earthquake strikes.
to a building.
Falling Inside of a room
Overturning signboards
furniture

Falling
lights

Cracking
columns
and beams

An Distorting doors
earthquake
strikes! A building sways violently, so that furniture, etc., turn over,
posing a danger to human life.

Seismically isolated building

Earthquake vibrations are redulced. A building sways slowly when an earthquake strikes.

Signboards
OK Inside of a room
Isolator Furniture OK

Lights OK

Columns and
beams OK Doors OK

An Seismic isolation layer

earthquake
strikes!
Isolators absorb vibrations, so that vibrations hardly transmit to a building.
Furniture, fixtures, etc., are as usual.
Functions of seismic isolation devices
Family of seismic isolation devices 3 Function of suppressing building vibrations
Function of reducing and inhibiting transmission of vibrations

and supporting a building Lead damper Building But, if nothing is done, when an
The lead shaped as earthquake strikes, a building
2 Function of putting a building back into position shown in the will keep swaying. So, it is
photograph deforms necessary to reduce
to absorb the energy Ground vibrations ( 3 ).
Elastomeric isolator While lateral earthquake vibrations of vibrations, and
sway slowly, a building is securely reduce vibrations.
It always supports a building, and when an
earthquake strikes, it functions to change supported in the vertical
slow vibrations. direction ( 1 ) . For
example, it is like this Deformed lead damper
Building
house constructed
on balls.
Steel damper Building
The dampers function to
absorb the energy of
Ground The U-shape steel
vibrations, and reduce them.
Elastomeric isolator supporting rod bends to absorb
a building
With this alone, the house will crash the energy of Ground
into the house next door. So, a earthquake vibrations,
function of putting a house back into and reduce them.
Slider position ( 2 ) is necessary.
Eat the energy
The smoothened plate moves slowly during of vibrations!!
earthquake. Crash Bent Steel damper chomp p
chom

The inside view Oil damper If you push a water pistol quickly, you
This damper suppresses will need a great deal of power, but if
earthquake vibrations by the force you push it slowly, you dont need that
Rotating ball bearing For that purpose, methods of putting of liquid contained in it: hydraulic oil. much power. The oil damper adopts
When an earthquake a house back into position have been this principle.
Building
strikes, the balls roll devised, such as inserting rubber, and Cylinder
Piston
slowly. making spherical dish under Push

Ball the balls.

Ground Pathway Liquid

When seen
disassembled:
For a seismically isolated building, these are effectively used in
Spherical
dish combination.
Rubber
The Japan Society of Seismic Isolation
JIA Bldg. 2FL, 2-3-18 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo, Japan 150-0001

TEL +81-3-5775-5432 FAX +81-3-5775-5434

http://www.jssi.or.jp