Isolation Performance of Intelligent Seismic Isolation System Using Air Bearing

This paper describes three-dimensional isolation performance of seismic isolation system using air bearings. Long period seismic waves having predominant period of from a few seconds to a few ten seconds have recently been observed in various earthquakes. Also resonances of high-rise buildings and sloshing of petroleum tanks in consequence of long period seismic waves have been reported. Therefore the isolation systems having very long natural period or no natural period are required. In a previous paper [1], we proposed an isolation system having no natural period by using air bearings. Additionally we have already reported an introduction of the system, and have investigated horizontal motion during earthquake in the previous paper. It was confirmed by horizontal vibration experiment and simulation in the previous paper that the proposed system had good performance of isolation. However vertical motion should be investigated, because vertical motion varies horizontal frictional force. Therefore this paper describes investigation regarding vertical motion of the proposed system by experiment. At first, a vertical excitation test of the system is carried out so as to investigate vertical dynamic property. Then a three-dimensional vibration test using seismic waves is carried out so as to investigate performance of isolation against three-dimensional seismic waves.