Basic Characteristics and Durability of Low-Friction Sliding Bearings for Base Isolation

As base-isolated buildings become more popular, developments have been undertaken to comply with various needs such as those imposed by taller buildings or roomier architectural planning. Sliding bearings have gradually won engineering attention as these bearings can further elongate the natural period of the seismic isolation system, thereby enhancing seismic performance of the structures. This paper reports a series of studies on the low-friction sliding bearing developed by the writers. The writers conducted various tests to examine the characteristics of this device. Among all characteristics examined, durability was of major concern. The paper summarizes the experimental results that indicate how the device could maintain its initial characteristics after being subjected to a long-term high compressive stress and to cyclic horizontal load. An example of the application of the device to a high performance base isolation system is also discussed.