Designing Unreinforced Elastomeric Isolators for Masonry Buildings: Taguchi Approach Leveraging Regression Equations and Weighted Score Method

Elastomeric isolators are widely recognized as effective solutions for mitigating the seismic and vibrational impacts in masonry structures. Nevertheless, the pursuit of cost-effective, viable, and reliable isolation strategies for masonry buildings remains an ongoing research priority. In response to this need, unreinforced elastomeric isolators (UEIs) seem to be promising alternatives among available isolator options. This study presents a comprehensive methodology for designing affordable UEI systems tailored to masonry construction, with a specific focus on enhancing seismic resilience in resource-constrained regions. By leveraging the Taguchi approach, regression analysis, and a weighted score optimization method, six critical parameters—load, excitation frequency, shear strain, hardness, thickness, and length—are systematically varied to optimize isolator performance. Experimental investigations, comprising cyclic compressive and shear tests on 27 UEI prototypes, reveal critical trends in vertical and effective lateral stiffness as well as damping characteristics. To address experimental limitations, numerical simulations in ABAQUS integrate hyperelastic and viscoelastic material models, and the results are validated against experimental data. Regression equations derived from these analyses facilitate predictive modeling across a broader design space, enabling practical extrapolations beyond the tested configurations. An example application for a masonry house demonstrates the step-by-step design methodology in a realistic context. Collectively, the findings underscore UEI’s potential as an accessible seismic isolation solution, effectively bridging the gap between advanced engineering methods and the needs of low-income regions.