How to Use the Simulation Technical Background Homework References Go to the Japanese version of this page.
Base isolation is an important strategy for protecting structures from earthquake excitations.
Base isolation attempts to isolate a structure from the external ground excitations, not by trying to dissipate the energy of the earthquake within the structure, rather by not allowing this energy to even enter the structure. As a testament to this strategy, buildings in the Kansai region of Japan with base isolation devices survived the devastating 1995 Kobe Earthquake with little or no damage. This event has prompted great interest in the viability of base isolation for seismic protection of Civil structures. The user can vary the properties of the structure, the isolation system and the earthquake motion, allowing for insight into the influence of various parameters on the responses of the system. Animation of the user designed systems facilitates visualization of parameter effects.