## 1 Introduction
The results indicated that the isolator greatly reduced the acceleration response at the top of the structure: no visible cracking occurred even in a major simulated earthquake, whereas cracks formed in the specimen without the isolation base. Following up on this work, [PERSON] et al. [23], performed a shake table test on two 1/4-scale models that were base-isolated using a sheet and coarse dry sand. The results showed that the former design delivered better isolation under the same conditions. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [24], identified an effective solution for improving structural response in near-fault earthquakes, namely the variable friction pendulum system. Previous research has largely focused on multi-storey buildings such as hospitals, libraries, office buildings and other large public buildings. Although laminated rubber bearings and lead rubber bearings are two well-tested methods of base isolation, their cost and engineering can be burdensome, which is an obstacle to the commercialization of these designs. In comparison, the use of scrap tires, sand, geotextiles, and Poly tetra fluoro ethylene (PTFE) sheets in base isolation, although they are economical and simple alternatives, still requires further study in terms of post-disaster restoration. Therefore, the development of an economical seismic isolator for low-rise buildings is a pressing need that deserves further investigation. This paper therefore proposes a marble-graphite slide seismic isolation system (MG isolation system), which is unique in its combination of isolation performance, cost effectiveness, stability, durability, waste-recycling potential and straightforward engineering. Due to the spheroid nature of the marbles, embedded marbles work much better as buffer rollers than does coarse sand. In other words, the two qualities shared by graphite and marbles, acceptable engineering cost and stable physiochemical properties, make these materials ideal for base isolation. Scrap glass from process waste, door/window glass, curtain walls and glass bottles can be used to make the marbles, and the scrap glass is melted before processing. Glass waste presents a major public disposal problem in that the waste is a non-decomposable, non-flammable and non-degradable material. In other words, there is no way to degrade scrap glass naturally, making disposal of scrap glass a key environmental concern. Therefore, the proposed use of recycled glass in construction also provides a solution for minimizing glass waste in the environment. The MG isolation system is composed of a marble-graphite sliding layer (or MG slide), upper and lower foundation beams, and their corresponding stop blocks. The stop blocks include restrictive screws, positioning plates, nut connectors and stop holes linking the upper and lower foundation beams. In accordance with the seismic requirements, plain mortar bars can be provided at the beam interface to better control the initiating loads for foundation slippage at various magnitudes. The graphite and the rolling marbles serve as a lubricant and bearings, respectively. This study included low-reversed cyclic loading tests of four differently constructed walls to study the isolation performance of the mortar bar reinforced system. Then, the measured initiating loads were compared with the seismic resistance of the brick walls. The paper analyses the isolation performance of the MG slides, the effects of the mortar bars on the initiating load, the bearing performance and the damage incurred by the specimens. The results obtained facilitate, experimentally and theoretically, the application and commercialization of this new design.