An innovative earthquake isolation system using fibre reinforced rubber bearings

In this contribution, a new innovative isolation system for structures in earthquake regions is presented. The system consists of high damping rubber bearings strengthened with glass fibre fabrics. A wide parametric numerical investigation through Finite Element Analysis is carried out in order to develop and verify analytical models for these new isolation devices. Experimental investigations provided useful information for numerical modelling and derivation of analytical approaches. Comparisons with simplified formulations are reported as well. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution and to verify the reliability of the numerical simulations, the new devices are applied to the seismic analysis of a liquid storage tank, a strategic structure for civil protection.