A smart mechatronic base isolation system using earthquake early warning

In earthquake-prone countries such as Japan, effects of earthquakes are one of the major design objectives in buildings and infrastructures. Recent advances in earthquake engineering have improved the safety and reliability of buildings and infrastructures. Better understanding of geomorphology of earthquakes also enables us to better predict and estimate propagation of such natural hazard. For example, the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system in Japan provides advanced warnings using the different arrival times of P and S waves. On the other hand, techniques and methods in passive, semi-active and active vibration control have flourished. Base-isolation is a proven technique which enhances earthquake resilience of buildings and bridges. In general, this technique involves decoupling a superstructure from its foundation and lengthens its natural period of vibration. This technique is mature and commercialization has taken place worldwide. However, wind-resistance of base-isolated structures is generally a concern as the lateral stiffness of a base-isolated structure is low and service-ability wind effects may induce unacceptable lateral movement and/or vibration of the structure. This paper presents a new concept which the base-isolation system is activated by EEW system through a mechatronic system. In other times the structure is not base-isolated and provides strong lateral resistance against wind loads. As a backup design, the proposed system also equips with its own network of accelerometers which can trigger base isolation system independent from EEW system. The smart mechatronic base isolation system is fully automated, and resets itself after each ground motion. The paper describes the conceptual framework of proposed system and presents laboratory-scaled proof-of-concept experiments. Four historical earthquake time histories were used as ground excitations. Structural responses are compared between the two triggering mechanisms and results are discussed. Finally, the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) which make use of EEW is discussed, allowing connectivity between a single control unit and a network of infrastructures to achieve economy of scale.