On the Efficiency of a Base Isolation System

The aim of this paper is to present the analyses of the efficiency for a base isolation system. To portray the hysteretic behavior of the devices used for seismic protection the Bouc-Wen model is used. The non-linear first order equation which can describe the evolution of force developed by one device for almost any loading pattern are added to the system of equations which models the dynamical behavior of the protected building. Using Matlab-Simulink software, the model are employed to investigate the efficiency of the base isolation devices by comparing the seismic response of protected and unprotected buildings subjected to strong seismic actions.