Shimizu Corporation has commercialized the S-TOP Damper, which reduces the risk of collisions involving seismically isolated buildings. The system can be applied to both new and existing buildings, with a track record of installation at facilities including Daiichi Sankyo’s research building and plans for further adoption.
To eliminate the risk of collisions involving seismically isolated buildings, Shimizu Corporation developed and commercialized the versatile S-TOP Damper. The system can enhance the seismic isolation performance of both new and existing buildings and is being installed as a device capable of preventing catastrophic damage.
The device uses a steel bar approximately 5 m long attached to the building structure. The excess length of the seismic isolation layer slides inside a tubular component, and when shaking approaches the clearance, force is applied to the steel bar, absorbing seismic energy through a simple mechanism. It is available in 2 types, tension-compression and tension-only, which can be selected according to the number of units installed and the characteristics of the seismic motion.
As part of its testing and installation efforts, 8 tension-compression units have been installed at Daiichi Sankyo’s Shinagawa Research and Development Center. The research building is expected to remain in use even in the event of a major earthquake, and installation at other facilities has also been confirmed.
In a seismic isolation demonstration test, E-Isolation was used to confirm a maximum reaction force of 1,600 kN under large-amplitude conditions. This was shown to be equivalent to approximately twice the reaction force of a standard oil damper used for seismic isolation.