Experimentation and numerical modelling of recycled rubber pads for seismic isolation under accelerated ageing

Base seismic isolation is an efficient technical solution to reduce the vulnerability of new and existing structures. However, commercial isolators are usually expensive due to the need for high damping rubber and thick steel plates. In this work, a recycled rubber material derived from industrial waste is used for rubber pad fabrication to reduce the cost. Two compositions of recycled rubber are introduced to find the optimum choice. A series of uniaxial tensile test and relaxation test is conducted to characterize the hyperelasticity and viscosity of the recycled rubber. The specimens are performed both in fresh and aged condition to evaluate its durability. The aforementioned recycled rubber pad is used to fabricate an unbonded fiber reinforced elastomeric isolator, which is well known as a cheap form of the base isolation system. Finally, the use of recycled rubber for base isolators is promising regarding the rupture behavior and durability of the material under ageing condition.