MULTIPLE ENERGY DISSIPATION STRATEGIES OF BASE ISOLATED STRUCTURES UNDER BLAST AND EARTHQUAKE

Abstract

Terrorist attacks have become a growing threat worldwide in recent years. Explosive devices, the weapon of choice for a majority of terrorist attacks, significantly threaten civilian and military personnel. Accordingly it is very important to protect critical buildings against blast loads with the main goal of preventing loss of life of the occupants. The research detailed within this dissertation will investigate innovative smart structures, including the mitigation of damage and loss of life under blast loading through base isolated structures combined with supplemental passive control devices without compromising the innate seismic protection that base isolation provides. The focus of this dissertation is the development and simulation of multiple control strategies for multi-story structures subjected to surface blasts and seismic excitations. The goal is to study and improve the response of base isolated structures under blast loadings and simultaneously keep the same level or better performance under earthquakes through alternative energy dissipation systems.