The topic of this thesis is base isolation. The purpose of this thesis is to offer a relative understanding of the seismic performance enhancements that a typical 12-story steel office building can achieve through the implementation of base isolation technology. To reach this understanding, the structures of a fixed-base office building and a base-isolated office building of similar size and layout are designed, their seismic performance is compared, and a cost-benefit analysis is completed. The base isolation system that is utilized is composed of Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP) bearings.
The work of this thesis is divided into four phases. First, in the building selection phase, the structural systems (SMF and SCBF), layout, location (San Diego, CA), and design parameters of the buildings are selected. Then, in the design phase, each structure is designed using modal response spectrum analysis in ETABS. In the analysis phase, nonlinear time history analyses at DBE and MCE levels are conducted in PERFORM-3D to obtain the related floor accelerations and interstory drifts. Finally, in the performance assessment phase, probable damage costs are computed using fragility curves and FEMA P-58 methodology in PACT. Damage costs are computed for each building and seismic demand level and the results are compared.
","abstract_html":"<p>The topic of this thesis is base isolation. The purpose of this thesis is to offer a relative understanding of the seismic performance enhancements that a typical 12-story steel office building can achieve through the implementation of base isolation technology. To reach this understanding, the structures of a fixed-base office building and a base-isolated office building of similar size and layout are designed, their seismic performance is compared, and a cost-benefit analysis is completed. The base isolation system that is utilized is composed of Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP) bearings.</p> <p>The work of this thesis is divided into four phases. First, in the building selection phase, the structural systems (SMF and SCBF), layout, location (San Diego, CA), and design parameters of the buildings are selected. Then, in the design phase, each structure is designed using modal response spectrum analysis in ETABS. In the analysis phase, nonlinear time history analyses at DBE and MCE levels are conducted in PERFORM-3D to obtain the related floor accelerations and interstory drifts. Finally, in the performance assessment phase, probable damage costs are computed using fragility curves and FEMA P-58 methodology in PACT. Damage costs are computed for each building and seismic demand level and the results are compared.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Marrs, Nicholas Reidar"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Architecture - Architectural Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Architecture","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Brent Nuttall"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z","subjects":["base isolation","Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP)","seismic performance","nonlinear time history analysis","PACT","FEMA P-58","Architectural Engineering","Architectural Technology","Civil Engineering","Construction Engineering","Structural Engineering"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2013.45"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2013.45","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2013.45","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1004","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Brent Nuttall"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Marrs, Nicholas Reidar"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-06-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Architecture"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Architecture - Architectural Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["base isolation","Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP)","seismic performance","nonlinear time history analysis","PACT","FEMA P-58","Architectural Engineering","Architectural Technology","Civil Engineering","Construction Engineering","Structural Engineering"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1004","10.15368/theses.2013.45"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The topic of this thesis is base isolation. The purpose of this thesis is to offer a relative understanding of the seismic performance enhancements that a typical 12-story steel office building can achieve through the implementation of base isolation technology. To reach this understanding, the structures of a fixed-base office building and a base-isolated office building of similar size and layout are designed, their seismic performance is compared, and a cost-benefit analysis is completed. The base isolation system that is utilized is composed of Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP) bearings.
The work of this thesis is divided into four phases. First, in the building selection phase, the structural systems (SMF and SCBF), layout, location (San Diego, CA), and design parameters of the buildings are selected. Then, in the design phase, each structure is designed using modal response spectrum analysis in ETABS. In the analysis phase, nonlinear time history analyses at DBE and MCE levels are conducted in PERFORM-3D to obtain the related floor accelerations and interstory drifts. Finally, in the performance assessment phase, probable damage costs are computed using fragility curves and FEMA P-58 methodology in PACT. Damage costs are computed for each building and seismic demand level and the results are compared.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Seismic Performance Comparison of a Fixed-Base Versus a Base-Isolated Office Building"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Brent Nuttall"],"dc:creator":["Marrs, Nicholas Reidar"],"dc:date.available":["2013-06-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The topic of this thesis is base isolation. The purpose of this thesis is to offer a relative understanding of the seismic performance enhancements that a typical 12-story steel office building can achieve through the implementation of base isolation technology. To reach this understanding, the structures of a fixed-base office building and a base-isolated office building of similar size and layout are designed, their seismic performance is compared, and a cost-benefit analysis is completed. The base isolation system that is utilized is composed of Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP) bearings.
The work of this thesis is divided into four phases. First, in the building selection phase, the structural systems (SMF and SCBF), layout, location (San Diego, CA), and design parameters of the buildings are selected. Then, in the design phase, each structure is designed using modal response spectrum analysis in ETABS. In the analysis phase, nonlinear time history analyses at DBE and MCE levels are conducted in PERFORM-3D to obtain the related floor accelerations and interstory drifts. Finally, in the performance assessment phase, probable damage costs are computed using fragility curves and FEMA P-58 methodology in PACT. Damage costs are computed for each building and seismic demand level and the results are compared.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1004","10.15368/theses.2013.45"],"dc:subject":["base isolation","Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP)","seismic performance","nonlinear time history analysis","PACT","FEMA P-58","Architectural Engineering","Architectural Technology","Civil Engineering","Construction Engineering","Structural Engineering"],"dc:title":["Seismic Performance Comparison of a Fixed-Base Versus a Base-Isolated Office Building"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Architecture"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Architecture - Architectural Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z"}