Low temperature effect on prediction of seismic responses of buildings with high damping rubber bearings

Abstract

    Although rubber bearings have been widely used for many years, some mechanical properties of rubber bearings have not been fully studied, including low temperature effect on mechanical properties. This paper studies the effect of temperature changes on the seismic responses of buildings using rubber bearings. A seismic analysis of a 12-storey building was conducted at -30oC, -10oC, 23oC. The comparison of the results obtained at three temperatures shows that, at low temperature, the base shear forces increase due to the increase in stiffness of the rubber bearing. The base shear force at -30oC increases by 1.5 times the forces at room temperature 23oC. This is an important note for engineers who
design structures with rubber bearings in cold areas and high seismic activity.