Markov chains to investigate the sensitivity of friction isolators
© 2024 Elias Merhi
Last July, our PhD student, Elias Merhi, attended the 18th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering that took place in Milan, Italy. During this conference, he presented the work elaborated in a paper on using Markov chains to investigate the sensitivity of friction isolators to ground motion duration
• Using Markov chains to investigate the sensitivity of friction isolators to ground motion duration (D. Ruggiero and G.M. Calvi), where the results of a study on the behavior of friction isolators under long-duration earthquakes were shared. The study introduced a novel application of Markov chains to predict the performance of friction-based base isolation systems. By treating seismic inputs as independent impulses, the authors developed a stochastic framework that models the motion of friction isolators like Brownian motion. This approach allowed them to accurately predict residual displacements after seismic events, which are critical for ensuring serviceability. The model was validated using time history analyses of artificial earthquake records, revealing insights into how different types of friction sliders behave under various ground motion durations.