ABSTRACT
Seismic isolation is recognized as one of the most popular and effective methods of protecting structures during earthquake. The present paper is focused on the comparison between the dynamic responses of buildings with fixed and isolated bases exposed to seismic excitations. The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of a simplified base isolation numerical modelling technique using the linear springs. One-storey steel structure model has been considered using ETABS software, which was previously tested during the shaking table tests. The comparison of the structural response has been performed between the numerical and experimental results. High compatibility of the results for the fixed-base steel model between the numerical and experimental analyses has been obtained which proves the effectiveness of the modelling techniques used in the ETABS software. It has also been found that the isolation system is effective in improving the response of the steel structure during earthquake. However, modelling the isolation system using the linear springs is not an accurate technique due to the large differences in the structural responses obtained between the numerical and experimental analyses.
