Date of Award
5-16-2024
Publication Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.Sc.
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Supervisor
Niel Van Engelen
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
In seismic regions, the vulnerability of buildings to earthquakes poses significant challenges, particularly in underdeveloped and developing nations where resources for robust and resilient infrastructure are limited. Base isolation has emerged as a cost-effective and appealing alternative to traditional earthquake-resistant design techniques; it minimizes seismic demand rather than improving the structure’s earthquake resistance through additional strength or ductility. The key reason for base isolation’s efficiency is that it lengthens the fundamental period, which in turn reduces the generated earthquake effect on structure. Traditional base isolators offer a promising solution but are often prohibitively expensive and impractical for low-rise structures. This research explores an alternative approach by investigating the efficacy of scrap tire pad (STP) isolators, produced from discarded automotive tires, as a low-cost solution. The utilization of STP isolators offers a range of benefits, including, but not limited to, reduced earthquake response, preservation of the surrounding environment, cost-effectiveness, and wide availability. The research objective was to develop low-cost STP isolators to mitigate earthquake effects on unreinforced masonry buildings, which are prevalent in underdeveloped and developing nations due to their affordability and ease of production. Experimental testing was undertaken to ascertain the mechanical characteristics of STP isolators derived from car tires, considering variations in treaded portions and different layer stacking configurations under both layer bonded and unbonded conditions. Through experimental testing, selected mechanical characteristics such as the shear strain capacity, lateral and vertical stiffness, damping ratios, and stiffness ratio were evaluated and discussed. Of the four categories considered, detreaded layer bonded STP isolators (DLB-STP) are recommended for further investigation and future application because of the comparatively high average shear strain capacity and stiffness ratio, while also demonstrating better consistency in mechanical properties. They are followed by the detreaded layer unbonded STP isolators (DLU-STP) and treaded layer bonded STP isolators (TLB-STP). Treaded layer unbonded STP isolators (TLU-STP) are not recommended due to their limited shear strain capacity.
Recommended Citation
Shaik, Mohammed Tanveer, "Experimental Evaluation of Low-Cost Scrap Tire Pad Base Isolators" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 9410.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/9410