Sliding Isolation Systems: Historical Review, Modeling Techniques, and the Contemporary Trends

Base isolation techniques have emerged as the most effective seismic damage mitigation strategies. Several types of aseismic devices for base isolation have been invented, studied, and used. Out of several isolation systems, sliding isolation systems are popular due to their operational simplicity and ease of manufacturing. This article discusses the historical development of passive sliding isolation systems, such as pure friction systems, friction pendulum systems, and isolators with other sliding surface geometries. Moreover, multiple surface isolation systems and their behavior as well as the effectiveness of using complementary devices with standalone passive isolation devices are examined. Furthermore, the article explored the various modeling techniques adopted for base-isolated single and multi-degree freedom building structures. Special attention has been given to the techniques available for modeling the complex phenomena of sliding and non-sliding phases of sliding bearings. The discussion is further extended to the development in the contemporary areas of seismic isolation, such as active and hybrid isolation systems. Although a significant amount of research is carried out in the area of active and hybrid isolation systems, the passive sliding isolation system still has not lost its appeal due to its ease of adaptability to the structures.