Investigating the "pendulum column" isolator with flexible piers

Various methods have been used to strengthen structures against earthquakes. Isolator systems are among the methods to control the structure's response. Instead of increasing the strength and capacity of the structure, these systems react to earthquakes. In this paper, an isolator system was investigated with the flexible piers of ^ and ^ elements, which were perpendicular to each other and connected by a rod hinged at both ends. The behavior of the isolator system was studied. Many structures have non-rigid connections; the effect of this issue was considered in the pendulum column's performance in this paper. Its mathematical equations were derived, solved with MATLAB software, and compared with ABAQUS results. Later on, the isolator system was investigated during different earthquakes. The results show that this mechanism is suitable as an isolator. The period was found to be longer in the flexible pier form. The flexible piers have an influential role in the system's response by reducing the system's stiffness considerably. Among the different damping ratios, those with more than 15% had better results. Finally, the tested model verified the theory.