Lateral Response Evaluation of Fiber-Reinforced Neoprene Seismic Isolators Utilized in an Unbonded Application

This study examines the experimentally obtained lateral response characteristics of model scale square fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolator (FREI) bearings, which are intended to mitigate seismic induced forces on ordinary low-rise buildings. The bearings consist of an unfilled soft neoprene compound as the elastomer material and bidirectional carbon fiber fabric as the reinforcement. The bearings have been employed in an unbonded application, …