Stability of Elastomeric and Lead-Rubber Seismic Isolation Bearings

Abstract

Elastomeric and lead-rubber bearings are two commonly used types of seismic isolation devices. During seismic events, some of the bearings in an isolation system will be subjected to large axial compressive loads, caused by gravity plus overturning forces, accompanied by simultaneous large lateral displacements. However, the critical load capacity of elastomeric bearings has been shown to reduce with increasing lateral displacement. The design of isolation systems composed of these types of bearings therefore requires that stability at the maximum displacement be demonstrated. The current procedure to assess the stability uses a ratio of areas, referred to as the overlapping area method, to determine the critical load capacity at a given lateral displacement that must be greater than a combination of axial forces imposed on the bearing. Although the overlapping area method provides a simple means of calculating the critical load at a given lateral displacement, it lacks a rigorous theoretical basis and ha...