A Comparative Study on Effectiveness of Using Horasan Mortar as a Pure Friction Sliding Interface Material

Abstract

In this study, the possibility to use Horasan mortar as a sliding interface material for pure friction aseismic isolation system is investigated. Both experimental and numerical studies are conducted to examine the effectiveness of using this material in structural isolation systems of buildings with no overturning moment, as it has shown some attractive experiences in time based on the existing related literature. Responses of four storey lightweight building are numerically investigated by finite element modelling in MATLAB; whereas the University Consortium on Instructional Shake Table (UCIST) is used to study the responses of the same building during experimental works. Comparison of both studies is shown to be in a good agreement in terms of resulting structural response accelerations, velocity and displacements. Approximately 28 - 31 % reduction of base floor acceleration is achieved; and the maximum sliding velocity and displacement are found to lie between 0.33-0.45 m/sec and 0.0353-0.0559 m respectively; which fall within the recommended standards’ limits. As a result, these findings demonstrate the effectiveness of using Horasan mortar as friction interface material which has additionally gained experience in more than ten centuries.