Real-time hybrid simulations vs shaking table tests: Case study of a fibre-reinforced bearings isolated building under seismic loading

In this paper, real-time hybrid simulations (RTHSs) and shaking table tests (STTs) are described to assess the feasibility of using recycled rubber fibre-reinforced bearings (FRBs) as base isolators of low-cost buildings in developing countries. The RTHSs were run to predict the behaviour of a prototype-scaled building under dynamic loading prior to carrying out STTs on the same structural model. Real-time tests addressed a lack of knowledge regarding the seismic behaviour of FRBs as isolators for low-rise buildings. They also underlined the feasibility of the shaking table experimental tests and addressed all the safety concerns. In this work, the outcomes of the two different testing procedures were compared. As result, the need to adopt STTs to validate base isolation technologies is questioned and, from the comparison, the advantages and limits of the two testing procedures are presented. Moreover, the acquired knowledge on the dynamic behaviour of recycled rubber bearings validates their use as isolators for seismic risk mitigation in earthquake-prone regions of the world.