Pseudo-Static Loading Investigation on the Performance of Steel Frame with and without STRP Bearings as the Base Isolation Material

The investigation evaluates the performance of the steel frame subjected to pseudo-static loading with a fixed base and STRP base. The technology of seismic base isolation is flourishing in developed countries because of its efficiency in resisting seismic vibrations. Scrap Tyre Rubber Pad (STRP) bearings shall be an alternative to conventional seismic base isolation techniques with an affordable cost for a developing country. The properties of the STRP's are quite equivalent to conventional rubber bearings. Researchers have undergone numerical, analytical studies pertaining to STRP bearing for buildings and have suggested that it be used for low-rise regular buildings and have given superior results. Based on the results of analytical studies, an attempt to investigate the performance of the STRPs in a scaled-modelled steel frame structure has been conducted. The experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of the steel frame with and without STRP bearings. The ultimate aim of this paper is to examine the sliding property of the STRP's placed in the frame. For this aspect, for the lateral seismic loading applied, the deflections of the frame at the top, intermediate and at the bottom stories have been studied. From the investigation, it is observed that the deflections of the frame are greater at the roof compared to other stories. Significantly, from this study, it is reported that an increase in displacements of about 38% to 40% is attained for the frame using STRP bearing for base isolation.