IIT Guwahati Researchers Develop Tech to Reduce Transmissibility of Earthquakes

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad have developed a seismic base isolation technology to reduce the transmissibility of earthquakes from ground motion to structures, mainly tall buildings.

The team at IIT-Guwahati informed that this is the first implementation of the high-damping prototype Fiber Reinforced Elastomeric Isolator (FREI) system in the world where carbon fiber fabric has been used instead of steel.

FREI Technology involves the usage of fibre in place of steel for reinforcement in elastomeric isolators that are multilayered composite pads.

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The technology has been invented by a team that is led by Sajal Kanti Deb, a professor at the department of civil engineering at IIT-G.

Apart from Mr. Deb, who was the chief investigator of the project, the team included Professor Anjana Dutta and two former Ph.D. students - Dr. Ngo Van Thuyet and Dr. Animesh Das.

Deb informed how the inventory is suitable for implementation in developing countries.

This is a laminated rubber bearing/ isolator reinforced with bi-directional carbon fibre fabric instead of a steel plate that is commonly used in regular Steel Reinforced Elastomeric Isolators (SREIs).

FREIs are light-weight that makes the installation of the device much more convenient. 

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Deb stated that this technology is made in order to ensure that structural as well as non-structural systems, as the partition walls, false ceilings, and even the appliances and furniture are subject to a very low-level vibration

Hence there will be either no kind of destruction or very little damage in the times of the high-intensity earthquakes.

He stated lastly that the extra cost for implementation of this tech would be around 10% of the cost of regular construction of alike typology.

The additional cost can be reduced by the right choice of the structural system. The team has already linked up with an industry partner while developing this technology and hence the product is good to go for commercialization. 

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