Investigation of structures’ seismic behavior when using the “pendulum column” as an isolator

Abstract

Isolator systems are among the methods to control the structure’s response. Increasing the natural period of structures is one of the methods of strengthening structures against earthquakes, which are usually supplied with seismic isolators. In the present paper, a suspended isolation system called the “pendulum column” is investigated. In this system, by changing the structure’s foundation connection, the period of the structure has been increased. The proposed isolator system was investigated under different earthquake records. The results showed that the proposed isolator had effectively reduced the acceleration due to its isolation. Among the different damping ratios, those with ratios of more than 15% had better results. The results of the ABAQUS model verified the theory. The results showed that the system’s acceleration was effectively reduced. Investigations showed that the base shear in the isolated structure decreased by more than 50% in the investigated earthquakes. The drift decreased by more than 50% in all analyses. An experimental sample of the proposed system confirmed the proper functioning of the pendulum column.