ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the use of base isolation in masonry buildings. In the isolated buildings a rigid deck is necessary between the superstructure and the isolation system and a minimum height is necessary in order to allow the inspection of the isolators and their replacement. In seismic areas, simple buildings are those that satisfy also other requirements related to the length of the walls in the two orthogonal directions, the thickness and the slenderness of the walls and the distance between parallel walls. The construction cost of the isolated building is always lower than the cost of the fixed base building. The application of base isolation in masonry buildings has been analyzed with reference to both technological and economic aspects. The cost of an irregular fixed base building increases significantly with the seismic intensity and could be much higher than the cost of an equivalent regular building.
