An innovative isolation device for aseismic design

A new seismic isolation system, namely the roll-n-cage (RNC) isolator, is introduced. This RNC isolator incorporates isolation, energy dissipation, buffer and inherent gravity-based restoring force mechanisms in a single unit. It also provides adequate wind resistance, a great range of horizontal flexibility and always exhibits no uplift during its lateral motion. The principles of operation and force–displacement relationships of the novel RNC isolator are briefly explained. Further, its performance evaluation is presented via implementation in heavy-mass structures. The numerical results reveal that the RNC isolation bearing exhibits a robust performance for a wide range of structures and ground motion excitations.