BASE ISOLATION FOR SEISMIC PROTECTION OF STATUES

This paper deals with base isolation as the technique to minimize the seismic risk for statues. The isolating device is created by providing multi-stage high damping laminated rubber bearings. The response of the isolated system has been studied in frequency-domain and time-domain, using generated and recorded accelerograms. First, reference is made to a linearized model of the devices. In view of these latest results, the response of isolated system has been studied as a SDOF system characterized by an hysteretic force-displacement law; a parametric analysis has been performed to determine the sensitivity of the response to the characteristics of devices and seismic forces. Benefits of base isolation have been shown with reference to displacement and maximum base shear.