Ladder

Base isolation — the ladder

One essay so far against this idea. A ladder is the distinct arguments that stand against one idea, and this one has room to grow.
  1. 0123400.20.40.60.81period (s)spectral acceleration (g)fixed baseisolatedbase shear ÷ 10.20123400.050.10.150.20.25period (s)spectral displacement (m)fixed baseisolatedmovement × 2.5five per cent damped, faint; 20 per cent damped, bold

    Made weaker on purpose

    Everything else in this collection resists a load by being stiff or strong enough for it. A base-isolated building resists an earthquake by refusing to hear it — a layer of bearings under the whole structure with a lateral stiffness a twentieth of the frame's, bought with almost no strength at all.

    rung 1 · dynamics

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