11. The Influence of Mexico City Soils on the Seismic Performance of Friction Damped and Base Isolated Structures

The seismic performance of hypothetical low and high‐rise steel framed structures founded on both soft and stiff soils in Mexico City and equipped with (i) friction damping devices, (ii) base isolators and (iii) a combination of base isolators and friction damping devices is compared. The response of the three structural systems, including soil‐ structure interaction, is examined for two specific sites in Mexico City: the stiff hills zone and the soft lake bed zone. The results of the study show that although soil‐structure interaction can be beneficial for some base isolated structures, friction damping alone provides a more consistent way of protecting structures in Mexico City against earthquakes.