Mechanics of Rubber Bearings for Seismic and Vibration Isolation

Widely used in civil, mechanical and automotive engineer­ing since the early 1980s, multilayer rubber bearings have been used as seismic isolation devices for buildings in highly seismic areas in many countries. Their appeal in these applications comes from their ability to provide a component with high stiffness in one direction with high flexibility in one or more orthogonal directions. This combination of vertical stiffness with horizontal flexibility, achieved by reinforcing the rubber by thin steel shims perpendicular to the vertical load, enables them to be used as seismic and vibra­tion isolators for machinery, buildings and bridges. Mechanics of Rubber Bearings fo…