Simulations are among an engineer’s most important tools. Before building costly test rigs or making expensive products, many different limit states are applied to a digital model, with the aim of removing every problem that could arise in the real world. Designs are optimised and improved.
Structural engineers are used to working mostly with bar and plate elements, but thanks to the growing processing power of computers and user-friendly software, three-dimensional solid modelling, which gives results closer to reality both visually and in behaviour, is used more every day.
Triple friction pendulum isolator
With pendulum isolators, the vibration period of a structure can be lengthened independently of its mass, by changing the radius of curvature of the curved surface. Different friction coefficients on the different surfaces let the structure respond optimally to earthquakes of different sizes, while the forces on the structure are greatly reduced. Friction also turns kinetic energy into heat, which provides damping.
Related notes: Lead Rubber Bearing (LRB) Isolator · Viscous Damper Reinforced Building Analysis and Design · Resilient Slip Friction Joint · Steel Building Performance Analysis
Originally published in 2022; revised in 2026.
