Earthquake-protective pneumatic foundation

Valentin Shustov

doi:10.1117/12.383162

20 April 2000 Earthquake-protective pneumatic foundation

Valentin Shustov

Proceedings Volume 3988, Smart Structures and Materials 2000: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.383162
Event: SPIE's 7th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 2000, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

The main objective of the research in progress is to evaluate the applicability of an innovative earthquake-protective system called pneumatic foundation to building construction and industrial equipment. The system represents kind of seismic soil isolation. The research is analytical and accompanied with limited testing on a shake table. The concept of partial suppression of seismic energy flow inside a structure is known as a seismic or base isolation. Normally, this technique needs some pads to be inserted into all major load-carrying elements in a base of the building. It also requires creating additional rigidity diaphragms in the basement and a moat around the building, as well as making additional provisions against overturning and/or P-_(Delta ) effect. Besides, potential benefits of base isolation techniques should not be taken for granted: they depend on many internal and external factors. The author developed a new earthquake protective technique called pneumatic foundation. Its main components are: a horizontal protective layer located under the footing at a certain depth, and a vertical one installed along the horizontal protective layer perimeter. The first experiments proved a sizable screening effect of pneumatic foundation: two identical models of a steel frame building, put simultaneously on the same vibrating support simulating an earthquake, performed in a strikingly different manner: while the regular building model shook vigorously, the model on a pneumatic foundation just slightly trembled.

Citation Download Citation

Valentin Shustov "Earthquake-protective pneumatic foundation", Proc. SPIE 3988, Smart Structures and Materials 2000: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways, (20 April 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.383162

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