Nonlinear Analyses of a Building Isolated With Multiple Trench Friction Pendulum System Under Multi-Directional Excitations

The multiple trench friction pendulum system (MTFPS) which has numerous sliding interfaces in each of two perpendicular directions can provide different natural periods, displacement capacities and damping effects at various levels of displacements in the individual direction. In order to characterize the mechanical behavior of the MTFPS isolator under multi-directional earthquakes, a plasticity model named as the multiple yield and bounding surfaces model is proposed in this study. Investigations for buildings isolated with TFPS isolators and subjected to multi-directional excitations have been carried out to assess the performance of the MTFPS isolation bearing in seismic mitigation through numerical analyses. Results from numerical analyses illustrate that the MTFPS isolation bearing can isolate most earthquake induced energy and provide good protection for structures from earthquake damage.