Optimum Design of Base Isolation Systems with Low and High Damping

Abstract

Base isolators are devices that provide rapid damping of the energy of dynamic loads such as earthquakes. In this study, the energy absorption performance of a seismic isolator to be placed on the base, in the direction of allowable displacement, was investigated by transmitting various earthquake loads to a rigid structure model that behaves as one degree of freedom. For this purpose, the base isolator with a 30 cm displacement limit at low and high damping ratios relative to each other has been optimized for optimum structural vibration control. In the optimization process, the damping ratio and period of the isolator were made with the Flower Pollination Algorithm to minimize the maximum acceleration and displacement. Critical earthquake analyzes were made within the earthquake excitations, and the control efficiency was compared in low and high-damped isolators. When the results are examined, it has been determined that both low and high-damped isolator systems provide a very close reduction in total acceleration, while the high-damped system performs approximately 10% better in reducing displacement.