A procedure to model and design elastomeric-based isolation systems for the seismic protection of rocking art objects

This paper investigates the rocking behavior of rigid bodies seismically protected by means of lead rubber bearings and high damping rubber bearings, which are the most popular kinds of elastomeric isolators in the market. The complex nonlinear force–displacement relationship displayed by such devices is predicted by a phenomenological model based on a small set of parameters having a clear mechanical meaning. The algebraic nature of the proposed hysteretic model makes it suitable for a design procedure, using an energy-based approach, that allows one to obtain the hysteretic model parameters on the basis of the mass and the isolation period. Overturning spectra are evaluated and discussed to illustrate the effect of the isolation devices on the rigid bodies' rocking behavior. Furthermore, nonlinear time history analyses associated with six real earthquakes are carried out on six of Michelangelo's sculptures, located in the Galleria dei Prigioni at the Accademia Gallery of Florence, in order to examine their actual behavior under real strong ground motions.