Influence of ground motion duration on seismic performance of RC frame isolated by high damping rubber bearings

The high damping rubber bearing (HDRB) is an advanced seismic isolation component currently used in building structures with sound energy dissipation capacity. This study examines the effects of ground motion duration on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete frame isolated by HDRBs. The effect of ground motion duration is isolated from other effects due to ground motion amplitude and acceleration spectral shape by using 44 pairs of short-duration and long-duration spectrally equivalent ground motions. Nonlinear time-history analyses are conducted on a base-isolated building using HDRBs. The numerical analyses considered the calibrated parameters of the HDRB model based on experimental data. The stiffness degradation of the HDRBs due to Mullins’ effect under cyclic loading is accounted into the numerical model. The influence of ground motion duration is evaluated by comparing the seismic responses of the isolator components and the superstructure. The results indicate that the ground motion duration generates a significant influence on seismic responses. The influence varies as the ground motion intensity changes. The stiffness degradation of the HDRB becomes evident with the increase of the earthquake intensity, and the effect of such degradation on the structural responses is more significant when under long-duration ground motions.