Structural and parametric analysis of lead rubber bearings and effect of their characteristics on the response spectrum analysis

Introduction: Earthquakes are one of the most frequent and potentially disruptive natural disasters. Up to this day, numerous methods have been tested and applied to prevent damage to buildings and structures as a result of earthquakes. Currently, one of the widely used methods is to provide seismic isolation between the building and the ground. Its main purpose is to reduce the interaction between the building and the ground as well as the impact of soil movement on the building. For our study, we chose a system of lead rubber bearings as isolators used to improve the seismic resistance of buildings. Purpose of the study: We aimed to expand the tool kit for the analysis of seismic isolation based on rubber bearings and demonstrate the effectiveness of ETABS software. Methods: The paper investigates the behavior of an isolation system with lead rubber bearings for various earthquake records with the use of ETABS software according to UBC-97 standards and software developed specifically for this study in Excel. Results: Based on the developed software, we analyzed how changes in properties of base isolators affect the behavior of structures exposed to earthquakes.