Laminated Elastomeric Bearing
Structure and Principle
Structure: Composed of multiple layers of thin rubber plates and thin steel plates alternately stacked, bonded together through high-temperature vulcanization.
Principle: Utilizes the elasticity of rubber and the constraint effect of thin steel plates on the lateral expansion of rubber, endowing the bearing with high vertical load-carrying capacity and low horizontal stiffness. Rubber has a low elastic modulus, a Poisson’s ratio close to 0.5, and incompressible volume, causing it to expand laterally under compression. The steel plates constrain this expansion, significantly increasing the axial compressive stiffness without affecting the horizontal shear deformation of the rubber layers, allowing the bearing to undergo large horizontal displacements.
Characteristics
Strong vertical load-carrying capacity: Reliably transfers the weight and loads of the superstructure to the substructure, such as the weight of bridge girders or floor loads in buildings. Its vertical compression stiffness is basically consistent with that of a reinforced concrete column of the same cross-section.
Good horizontal flexibility: Exhibits low horizontal stiffness, enabling large horizontal shear deformation under seismic or other horizontal loads. This prolongs the natural vibration period of the structure and reduces the horizontal seismic force input to the superstructure.
Excellent shock and vibration isolation effect: Effectively isolates and dissipates seismic energy, reducing damage to the superstructure. For example, in buildings in seismic-prone areas, using laminated elastomeric bearings as isolation layers can significantly mitigate the impact of earthquakes.
Strong deformation adaptability: Adapts to various deformations of the structure during use, such as thermal expansion/contraction and rotational deformation of girders, ensuring normal operation of the structure.
Good durability: With appropriate materials and manufacturing processes, laminated elastomeric bearings can have a service life of no less than 60 years.
Classification
Natural rubber laminated bearings: Made of natural rubber and thin steel plates, featuring good elasticity and flexibility, suitable for general building and bridge structures.
Lead-core laminated rubber bearings: Incorporate a lead core into ordinary laminated rubber bearings. The lead core dissipates energy through plastic deformation during earthquakes, enhancing the bearing’s energy dissipation capacity and damping characteristics, thus improving the seismic performance of the structure. They are commonly used in structures with high seismic requirements.
High-damping laminated rubber bearings: Manufactured from high-damping rubber materials, with a high damping ratio, effectively dissipating energy during earthquakes and reducing the structural vibration response.
Application Fields
Bridge engineering: Supports bridge girders, adapts to deformations such as expansion, contraction, and rotation of girders, and provides seismic protection for bridge structures during earthquakes, such as urban viaducts and cross-sea bridges.
Building engineering: Especially in buildings in seismic-prone areas, used as isolation layers between the foundation/substructure and superstructure to prolong the structural natural vibration period and reduce earthquake damage to the superstructure, such as hospitals, schools, and high-rise buildings.
Other engineering: Applied in industrial facilities and hydraulic structures with high vibration control requirements, such as large equipment foundations and dams, to achieve vibration reduction, isolation, and deformation adaptability.
Optimize bridge performance with elastomeric bearing in bridges – premium composite pads. Engineered for precise load transfer, seismic resilience, and all-climate durability. Swift install, ISO-certified. Trusted bearings for robust bridge infrastructure globally.
