PSI - Issue 61

Adil Ziraoui et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 61 (2024) 171–179 Adil Ziraoui et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000 – 000

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undesirable seismic movements and preserving the structural integrity of buildings. It also illustrates the ability of leaded rubber isolators (LRB) to play a crucial role in reducing potentially damaging deformations during an earthquake. The results presented in Figure 8 underline the significant advantage that isolation at the base, in particular through the use of LRB isolators, brings in reducing the shear forces that can exert considerable stress on the structure in the event of an earthquake. This reduction in shear forces is crucial to preserving the structural integrity of buildings and protecting their occupants in the event of a seismic event. This is convincing proof of the effectiveness and value of base isolation in earthquake engineering.

Fig. 9. Comparative graph of the maximum moment for the two structures

The results presented in Figure 9 provide crucial information concerning the moments applied to structures, particularly with regard to isolated base buildings versus conventional reinforced concrete buildings. These data convincingly reveal that isolated base structures exhibit significantly lower moments. This reduction in moments is particularly striking when considering isolated base structures, demonstrating the significant effectiveness of this approach in reducing the loads and stresses experienced by the building during a seismic event. Importantly, this reduction in moments is maintained consistently, regardless of variations in floor level. 4. Conclusions Central to the essence of this research is the meticulous evaluation and comparative analysis of the seismic response exhibited by two distinct reinforced concrete structures: an 8-storey building and a 10-storey building, both incorporating a base isolation system. The overarching objective is to conduct a comprehensive and detailed comparison, delving into the nuanced aspects of their seismic performance. In summary, by utilizing leaded rubber isolators and employing response spectrum analysis, we gain a nuanced understanding of seismic responses. The important conclusions arising from this analysis, with a focus on building models, their specific configurations, and their properties, are presented below:

1. Lead rubber bearing (LRB) isolators demonstrate effectiveness in minimizing the overall seismic response of reinforced concrete structures, with this efficacy becoming more pronounced in taller buildings.