BACK TO BASICS:

APPLICATIONS OF RUBBER AND WIRE ROPE

IN VIBRATION ISOLATION
PRESENTED AT
ASHRAE WINTER MEETING
JANUARY 27-31, 2007
DALLAS, TEXAS

PRESENTED BY
PETER LINDSAY, P.E.
ENGINEERING MANAGER
THE VMC GROUP
WHY OPEN THIS SUBJECT?

YOU HAVE A COMPLEX PIECE OF MOVING MACHINERY FULL OF

IMPERFECT MOTORS, SHAFTS, BEARINGS, BELTS FANS AND
PUMPS. THEY ARE PACKAGED INTO A FRAMEWORK OF
CHANNELS AND SHEET METAL THAT HAS BEEN THINNED OUT TO
THE MINIMUM IN THE INTEREST OF WEIGHT AND COST. YOU
WILL INSTALL ALL THIS ON THE SOFT STRUCTURE OF A BUILDING
CREATING IN ESSENCE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. AS IF THAT
WERE NOT ENOUGH….

ALL OF THIS WILL BE PLACED RIGHT OVER THE HEAD OF THE

BIGGEST COMPLAINER IN THE BUILDING!
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?

FIRST CONCEPT; THE LOW-PASS “FILTER” (IN THE

ELECTRICAL SENSE OF THE WORD):
IDEALLY A SIMPLE, SINGLE DEGREE OF FREEDOM SPRING-
MASS SYSTEM. ONE SPRING, ONE MASS, ONE DEFINED
INPUT, AND THEREFORE ONE DEFINED OUTPUT.
A SUSPENSION WITH A SINGLE, DEFINED NATURAL
FREQUENCY, WHICH, WHEN PAIRED WITH INPUTS OF A
CERTAIN RATIO OR GREATER CONVERTS A GOOD
PORTION OF THE INCOMING KINETIC ENERGY INTO MORE
MACHINE FRIENDLY AND PEOPLE FRIENDLY POTENTIAL
ENERGY.
THIS IS WHAT THE IDEAL SYSTEM SHOULD LOOK LIKE

M
RIGID BASE

WORKING RANGE
THIS IS WHAT THE REAL SYSTEM PROBABLY LOOKS LIKE

M
M

WORKING
RANGE
WHERE? M

M
AND THIS HOPEFULLY IS WHAT WE CAN COMPROMISE ON

M
K M

M M
Kr

M K, (PROMINENT)
K

K
M K
SECOND CONCEPT: THERE ARE NO MAGIC PILLS…

NO ABSORBERS, NO FILTERS IN THE FLUID SENSE, NO

BLOCKING, NO ELIMINATION OF TOTAL ENERGY, AND MOST OF
ALL…..

EVEN IF YOU COULD MANAGE TO SAP OFF A SIGNIFICANT

AMOUNT OF THE INCOMING ENERGY IN THE FORM OF HEAT
THROUGH “SUPER DAMPING”, YOUR MOUNTS WOULD BE
SMOKING.
THIRD CONCEPT: A SPRING IS A SPRING IS A SPRING

SOME SPRINGS USED AS SHOCK AND VIBRATION MOUNTS:

TEMPERED METALS
RUBBERS AND PLASTICS
CORK, WOOD, CLOTH WADDING
CAPTIVE “COMPRESSIBLE “FLUIDS”- GASES, SAND AND SOIL
NON-CAPTIVE INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUIDS THROTTLED THRU
AND ORIFICE- HYDRAULIC DASHPOTS
OPEN AND CLOSED-CELL FOAM
WIRE ROPE

NO INHERENT PROS OR CONS AND NO UNIQUE APPLICATION TO

ANY OF THESE SO LONG AS THE SPRING IS PROPERLY
SELECTED FOR THE APPLICATION.
THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD SPRING

CAN TOLERATE RELATIVELY LARGE DEFLECTIONS (LARGE STRAINS)

REPEATED OVER THOUSANDS, TENS OF THOUSANDS, PERHAPS
MILLIONS OF CYCLES, WITHOUT FAILURE OR CHANGE IN
PROPERTIES. RELATIVE MEANING IN THE ORDER OF 15% TO 20% OF
ITS TOTAL SIZE, WITH LIMITED CYCLES MORE THAN 50% OF ITS SIZE.
IS DESIGNED FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCEPTING LARGE
DEFLECTIONS. PERHAPS EVEN A SACRIFICIAL ELEMENT.
DOES NOT CREATE NOISE OF ITS OWN IN OPERATION.
PROVIDES A PREDICTABLE DEFLECTION IN RESPONSE TO A GIVEN
APPLIED FORCE. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE LINEAR, JUST
PREDICTABLE AND UNCHANGING.
… AND PROPERLY SELECTED FOR THE SYSTEM!
 ATTRIBUTES OF A POOR SPRING

DOES NOT POSSESS THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD SPRING.

MAY FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY OR EXPENSIVELY.
CREATES NOISE OF ITS OWN IN OPERATION.
NOT VERY PREDICTABLE OVER CYCLES, TIME AND FROM PIECE TO
PIECE.
…AND, NOT PROPERLY SELECTED FOR THE SYSTEM!

EXAMPLES: STRUCTURES, SHAFTS, BEARINGS,

ATTACHMENT POINTS, BOLTS, RIVETS AND STRUCTURAL
WELDS.
A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A TEMPERED METAL SPRING

RIGID FOUNDATION

SUSPENDED
MASS

TEMPERED STEEL HELICAL

COIL TYPE TENSION SPRING

HERE SEEN AS A COMPLETE SPRING-

MASS SYSTEM
 AN EFFECTIVE RUBBER SPRING

(A VERY SIMPLE ELASTOMERIC PIPE HANGER)

A “CLASSICAL” EXAMPLE OF A SECTION OF WIRE ROPE
USED AS A SPRING

A LENGTH OF WIRE ROPE

LOADED IN TORSION
CONSIDER ATTRIBUTES AT THREE LEVELS:

THE MATERIAL IN THE SPRING

THE MATERIAL AS THE SPRING ELEMENT

THE SPRING ELEMENT IN THE SPRING-MASS SYSTEM

ATTRIBUTES OF RUBBER (ELASTOMER) AS A MATERIAL

RUBBER IS AN INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUID JUST LIKE WATER AND OIL-

ONLY THAT IT IS THICK ENOUGH NOT TO RUN OFF THE TABLE
UNLIKE WATER AND OIL, RUBBER HAS A “MEMORY” BECAUSE OF ITS
CROSS-LINKED BONDS. THIS IS WHY IT SNAPS BACK AFTER BEING
DEFORMED.
BY INCOMPRESSIBLE, WE MEAN THAT FOR EVERY AMOUNT IT IS
COMPRESSED IN ONE DIRECTION, IT WILL BULGE THE SAME
AMOUNT IN THE DIRECTIONS 90 DEGREES AWAY. BY THE SAME
TOKEN, WHEN STRETCHED OR SHEARED, IT WILL THIN BY THE SAME
AMOUNT 90 DEGREES AWAY.
THE MORE RUBBER IS DEFORMED, THE STIFFER IT APPEARS TO
BECOME…….
…WE CALL THIS A SECOND-ORDER “STIFFENING” CURVE:
2 1. OPERATIONAL
1 REGION
F
2. REGION OF SELF-
SNUBBING
X
DUROMETER IS NOT EVERYTHING! DUROMETER IS A
MEASURE OF BULK MATERIAL HARDNESS ONLY.
OTHER ELASTOMER CHARACTERISTICS:
BULK MODULUS HEAT AGING
TENSILE STRENGTH ENVIRONMENTAL RESIST.
ELONGATION CHEMISTRY
COMPRESSION-SET STATE OF CURE
WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE A STEEL BY ROCKWELL NUMBER
ALONE?
RUBBER HAS GOOD STRENGTH AND STABILITY UNDER SHEAR AND
COMPRESSIVE LOADS.
IT IS NOT AT IT BEST UNDER HEAVY TENSION LOADS.
IT IS NOT AT IT BEST UNDER HEAVY BUCKLING LOADS DUE TO THE
INDUCED TENSILE COMPONENT.

RUBBER, BEING A VISCOUS, INCOMPRESSIBLE LIQUID WITH

INTERNAL CROSS-LINKED BONDS PROVIDES INHERENT VISCOUS
DAMPING.
VISCOUS DAMPING IS VELOCITY-DEPENDENT, DYNAMIC DAMPING IS
THEREFORE A FUNCTION OF THE RATE OF CHANGE OF STRAIN. IN
OTHER WORDS, THE AMOUNT OF DAMPING PROVIDED IS RELATED
TO THE CHARACTER OF THE INPUT (AMPLITUDE, FREQUENCY AND
WAVEFORM).
ATTRIBUTES OF A RUBBER (ELASTOMER) MOUNT:

HOW DO YOU HOLD ONTO IT? THE CONCEPT OF ENGINEERED

“HANDLES”.
WHAT HANDLES DO:
CONTROL HOW THE LOAD IS TRANSFERRED TO THE
RUBBER.
PROPORTION COMPRESSIVE, SHEAR, TENSILE AND
BUCKLING REACTIONS. EACH HAS ITS OWN
CHARACTERISTICS TO BE USED TO TAILOR THE MOUNT’S
CHARACTERISTICS.
PROVIDE LIMIT STOPS; FUNCTIONAL SOFT STOPS AND
FAILSAFE HARD STOPS.
MEANS OF ATTACHMENT; THREADS, BOLT PLATES, BEARING
FACES, ETC.
“HANDLES” AND THE STRAIN MODES THEY CREATE

HANDLE 1
F

COMPRESSIVE
REGION

HANDLE 2
SHEAR REGION

TENSILE REGION
WHAT DO THESE ATTRIBUTES MEAN WHEN PLACED IN AN
ISOLATING ELASTIC SPRING-MASS SUSPENSION?

A MODERATELY PREDICTABLE RESONANCE OR “FILTER POINT”.

A RESULT OF A +/- 20% VARIANCE ON SPRING RATE (THE
LOAD-DEFLECTION CURVE).
A RESULT OF THE INPUT-DEPENDENCE OF DAMPING;
DAMPING MAKES THE SYSTEM LOOK DYNAMICALLY
STIFFER.
A RESULT OF THE CROSS-COUPLING OF MULTIPLE AXES;
ITS AN ALL-ATTITUDE MOUNT.
GOOD ATTENUATION OF RELATIVELY SMALL AMPLITUDES WORKING
IN THE LINEAR REGION, REDUCED ATTENUATION OF LARGER
AMPLITUDES THAT PUSH UP INTO THE NON-LINEAR STIFFENING
REGION OF THE LOAD-DEFLECTION CURVE.
UPSIDE: A GRADUAL SELF-SNUBBING.
DOWNSIDE: LIMITED DEEP SHOCK ATTENUATION WITHOUT
GETTING INTO LARGE BUCKLING SECTIONS OF RUBBER.

REASONABLE CONTROL OVER RELATIVE REACTIONS IN THE

VARIOUS DIRECTIONAL MODES.
A RESULT OF THE TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN COMPRESSION,
SHEAR AND BUCKLING WHEN DESIGNING THE HANDLES.
MUST BE DESIGNED IN. THERE ARE NO FIELD ADJUSTABLE
CONTROL KNOBS ON THE MOUNT.
WHAT YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT WERE LIMITING
CHARACTERISTICS OF RUBBER MOUNTS
TEMPERATURE: INCORRECT. SELECTED PROPERLY AS LOW AS –
55 F AND AS HIGH AS +485 F, CONTINUOUS.
EVEN TEMPERED STEEL CAN EMBRITTLE AT LOW TEMP
AND WILL BEGIN TO ANNEAL AT HIGH TEMPS.
AGGRESSIVE CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENTS: INCORRECT.
SELECTED PROPERLY IT CAN TOLERATE SALT SPRAY, FUELS AND
SOLVENTS, OILS, REFRIGERANTS, COMBUSTION GAS, ACID,
ALKALI TO NAME A FEW. CONSIDER WHAT PASSES THROUGH
“RUBBER” HOSES.
EVEN TEMPERED STEEL CAN BE ATTACKED BY SALT
WATER, STRONG ACIDS AND REDUCING GASES.
SERVICE LIFE: INCORRECT. SO LONG AS CROSS-LINKED BONDS
ARE NOT BEING PROGRESSIVELY BROKEN IT CAN BE DESIGNED
FOR “INFINITE” REVERSE STRESS CYCLES JUST LIKE STEEL.
EVEN TEMPERED STEEL CAN FAIL IN FATIGUE, OFTEN
ACCELERATED BY SURFACE CORROSION.
THERE IS “GOOD” RUBBER AND THERE IS “POOR” OR “CHEAP”
RUBBER: INCORRECT. THERE IS PROPERLY SELECTED RUBBER
AND POORLY SELECTED RUBBER FOR A GIVEN APPLICATION. THE
PRICE PER POUND OF THE COMPOUND OR THE AMOUNT FOUND IN
COMMON PRACTICE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

THIS 25 CUBIC INCH ELEMENT,

MOLDED FROM A RELATIVELY
COMMON, INEXPENSIVE RUBBER,
PROPERLY COMPOUNDED, HAS
BEEN QUALIFIED TO WITHSTAND
OVER 100,000 CYCLES OF A
40,000-LB IMPACT LOAD IN A
MILITARY VEHICLE SUSPENSION.
OTHER MORE COSTLY
ELASTOMERS WERE REDUCED
TO DUST IN UNDER 1,000 CYCLES.

SHOWN HERE UNDER A STEADY

15,000-LB PART PROOFING LOAD
NEOPRENE IS THE GOLD-STANDARD FOR RUBBER MOUNTS:
INCORRECT. NEOPRENE IS A TRADEMARK OF A PARTICULAR
DUPONT FORMULATION OF A FAMILY OF SYNTHETIC RUBBER
COMPOUNDS CALLED CHLOROPRENE. THERE ARE OTHER
FAMILIES; EPDM, SBR, NITRILE, POLYBUTADYNE, SILICONES,
FLUROSILICONES, POLYCARBONATES TO NAME JUST A FEW, NOT
TO MENTION NATURAL RUBBER DERIVED FROM THE SAP OF
RUBBER TREES.
EACH FAMILY, INCLUDING CHLOROPRENE, HAS PERHAPS AN
INFINITE NUMBER OF CUSTOM BLENDS AND CROSS BLENDS.
THERE ARE FILLERS, OILS, OZONE AND UV RESISTING PACKAGES,
PLUS THE CURE SYSTEM- SULFUR AND PEROXIDE.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FINAL MOLDED RUBBER PART CAN
BE FURTHER ALTERED BY THE MOLDING PROCESS; CURE TIME,
CURE TEMPERATURE, CURE PRESSURE AND FLOW RATE INTO THE
MOLD.
MATERIAL SELECTION FOR WEATHER EXPOSURE

PROPERLY SIZED AND

SELECTED, THESE SMALL
RUBBER MOUNTS WILL SUPPORT
THIS HEAVY EQUIPMENT FOR
MANY YEARS TO COME.

IMPROPERLY SELECTED, A
SEEMINGLY IDENTICAL MOUNT
WILL FAIL, HASTENED BY
SUNLIGHT, HEAT AND WEATHER
GOOD RUBBER IS BLACK: INCORRECT. MOST SYNTHETIC RUBBER AS
WELL AS NATURAL RUBBER IS A MILKY WHITE COLOR TO START.
ADDITION OF OIL AND CLAY FILLER LENDS A BROWNISH HUE.
COMPOUNDS THAT RELY ON HEAVY AMOUNTS OF CARBON BLACK
FILLER TO MAINTAIN STRENGTH AND STABILITY SUCH AS
CHLOROPRENE (NEOPRENE) AND NATURAL RUBBER END UP BLACK.
OTHER COMPOUNDS WHICH CAN ACHIEVE STRENGTH WITH MINERAL
FILLERS CAN BE COLORED USING NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL AGENTS.
COLORANTS WILL NOT NECESSARILY AFFECT PROPERTIES UNLESS
THE CHEMISTRY IS POORLY SELECTED.
SILICONES ARE A HAZY WHITE TO TRANSLUCENT. COLOR IS ADDED
FOR AESTHETICS. SILICONES CAN BE COLORIZED ALMOST AS EASY
AS COLORING PAINT WITH LITTLE IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE.
THE STEADY OCCASIONAL LOAD A RUBBER MOUNT CAN
WITHSTAND IS FAR GREATER THAN THE RATED LOAD: THE
MOUNT IS DERATED TO ACCOUNT FOR PERHAPS MILLIONS OF
REVERSED STRESS CYCLES SUPERIMPOSED ON ENVIRONMENTAL
ATTACK.

A MOUNT RATED FOR 4,000 LBS AND ½ -INCH DEFLECTION IN

COMPRESSION AND ONLY NOMINAL SHEAR SHOWN AT 700%
ELONGATION IN SHEAR.
ATTRIBUTES OF WIRE ROPE AS A MATERIAL

HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH IN INDIVIDUAL STRANDS DUE TO THE

WIRE’S HARD DRAWING PROCESS.
MODERATE WORK HARDENING OF THE WIRE STRAND FROM
DRAWING, BUT NO TEMPER PER SE.
AN INHERENT “SPRING-BACK” TO A STRAIGHT CONDITION DUE TO
THE HIGH INTERNAL FORCES BETWEEN THE STRANDS AND
BUNDLES OF STRANDS WITHIN THE ROPE. THE STRAIGHT
CONDITION IS THE LOWEST STRAIN ENERGY STATE.
AN INHERENT INTERNAL “DAMPING” OR MORE ACCURATELY A
HYSTERESIS RESULTING FROM THE SLIDING OF STRANDS AND
BUNDLES WITHIN THE ROPE.
MORE…..
……
THE WIRE ROPE HAS TREMENDOUS TENSILE STRENGTH BECAUSE
ONLY A FRACTION OF THE ROPE’S TENSILE LOAD IS SEEN AS A
PURE TENSILE LOAD ON THE STRANDS. A PORTION OF THE LOAD IS
A COMPRESSIVE HOOP STRESS WHICH TENDS TO TIGHTEN THE
HELIX WIND ABOUT ITSELF. THIS IS A FEATURE WHICH A HOISTING
ROPE RELIES ON.
WIRE ROPE HAS TREMENDOUS FLEXURAL STRENGTH, AND
MOREOVER, RESISTANCE TO CUMULATIVE DAMAGE DUE TO
REPEATED FLEXING. THIS IS IN PART DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE
INDIVIDUAL WIRE STRANDS THEMSELVES SEE VERY LITTLE
FLEXING. THE WIRE ROPE’S HELIX OPENS AND CLOSES IN
RESPONSE TO BENDING. THE RESPONSE IS MORE A MECHANICAL
MOTION LIKE THE MESHING OF GEARS THAN A MATERIAL
DEFORMATION LIKE BENDING A STEEL BAR. THIS IS A FEATURE
WHICH A HOISTING ROPE PASSING OVER A SHEAVE RELIES ON.
ATTRIBUTES OF WIRE ROPE AS A SHOCK AND VIBRATION
ISOLATING MOUNT

AS A RESILIENT FLEXURAL ELEMENT, IT IS NOT ALL THAT DIFFERENT

FROM ANY OTHER HARD CANTILEVER SPRING EXCEPT THAT GIVEN
ITS HIGH INTERNAL DAMPING FORCES (HYSTERESIS), IT WILL NOT
RETURN EXACTLY TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AFTER BEING
DEFORMED.
AS A FLEXURAL ELEMENT IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE SAME
ALTERNATING COMPRESSIVE AND TENSILE STRAINS AT ITS OUTER
SURFACES AS WOULD BE FOUND IN A SOLID MATERIAL. THERE IS A
SIGNIFICANT TORSIONAL COMPONENT ABOUT THE ROPE’S HELIX
CAUSING A TIGHTENING AND RELAXATION OF THE BUNDLE. THIS
PERMITS REPEATED CYCLING THROUGH RELATIVELY LARGE
DISPLACEMENTS AT LOW MATERIAL STRESS LEVELS.
MORE….
…..
UNLIKE TEMPERED METALS, WIRE ROPE CANNOT BE FORMED INTO A
PERMANENT SHAPE WITH BUILT IN “HANDLES”.
THE HANDLES MUST BE CLAMPED ONTO THE WIRE ROPE.
TO ACHIEVE A NOMINAL SHAPE OTHER THAN A STRAIGHT
LINE, THE ROPE MUST BE DEFORMED UNDER CONSTANT
PRELOAD BY THE HANDLES.
THESE NOMINAL SHAPES ARE GENERALLY ARCS, OR
CONTINUOUS SERIES OF ARCS FORMING A HELIX.

THE ARC FORM REACTS TO APPLIED LOAD BY CLOSING ON ITSELF,

OR IN OTHER WORDS, BUCKLING.
SOME EMBODIMENTS OF ARCS OF WIRE ROPE
WHAT BUCKLING PROVIDES IN AN ISOLATING MOUNT

A RELATIVELY LARGE AMOUNT OF DYNAMIC TRAVEL PER UNIT

MOUNT VOLUME (THE MOUNT IS “HOLLOW”)
A THIRD-ORDER “SOFTENING” CURVE.

1. LOWER LINEAR REGION, NORMAL

OPERATION
3
2. RIDE UP INTO ROLL OVER REGION
TO DISTRIBUTE SHOCK ENERGY
OVER TIME AND DISTANCE.
F 1 3. REGION OF SELF-SNUBBING
2

MORE…
…
THE UPSIDE OF BUCKLING IN A WIRE ROPE MOUNT:
EFFICIENT ACCELERATION ATTENUATION OF SMALL
AMPLITUDE VIBRATION UNDER REST CONDITIONS IN THE
LOWER, LINEAR FIRST THIRD OF THE LOAD-
DEFLECTION CURVE.
VERY EFFECTIVE ATTENUATION OF PEAK ACCELERATION
OF DEEP SHOCK PULSES WHEN DRIVEN UP INTO THE MID
ROLLOVER REGION.
CONTINUED EFFECTIVE VIBRATION ATTENUATION DURING
THE SHOCK EVENT IN THE ROLLOVER REGION
A SELF-SNUBBING ACTION IN THE EVENT OF VERY LARGE
EXCURSIONS.
THE DOWNSIDE OF BUCKLING IN A WIRE ROPE MOUNT:
BUCKLING WILL BE SEEN IN ALL THREE AXES
SIMULTANEOUSLY UNLESS EXTERNAL GUIDE HARDWARE IS
ADDED.
LIMITED CONTROL OVER THE RELATIVE LOAD-DEFLECTION
BUCKLING CURVES BETWEEN THE MOUNT’S THREE AXES.
SURPRISINGLY SUDDEN LARGE MOTION ONCE DRIVEN INTO
THE ROLLOVER REGION OF THE CURVE.
SO WHAT SHOULD CAUSE THE USER TO CONSIDER A “NEWER”,
OR SEEMINGLY MORE COMPLEX, OR MORE EXPENSIVE MOUNT
OVER TRIED AND TRUE COIL SPRINGS AND SIMPLE RUBBER
“FEET”?
…OF INTEREST TO THE HVAC INDUSTRY…

ARE THE END-USER’S DEMANDS GETTING TOUGHER?

IS THE EQUIPMENT GOING INTO PLACES WHERE IT HAD
NOT BEEN BEFORE? – HARSHER, FLIMSIER, MORE
SENSITIVE?
IS THE EQUIPMENT NOISIER; MORE POWERFUL, MORE
COMPLEX, FLIMSIER DUE TO COMPETITIVE PRESSURE?
IS THE EQUIPMENT GOING MOBILE?
ARE NEW SEISMIC, WIND LOAD OR BOMB BLAST
REQUIREMENTS BEING IMPOSED?
ARE BUILDING DESIGNS GETTING SOFTER?
A FOOTNOTE ON ASPECTS ON “SEISMICALLY RESTRAINED”
MOUNTS
PRESENTLY, CODES REQUIRE THAT CERTAIN TYPES OF
EQUIPMENT AND FIXTURES REMAIN ESSENTIALLY STRUCTURALLY
INTACT DURING AND AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE SHOCK EVENT. SOME
EQUIPMENT MAY STILL BE RENDERED TEMPORARILY INOPERABLE
OR IN NEED OF SOME REPAIR AFTER THE QUAKE. CURRENT
SEISMIC MOUNTS ARE “CAPTIVE” IN ALL DIRECTIONS, MEANING
THAT THEY WILL REMAIN STRUCTURALLY INTACT AND NOT ALLOW
THE SUPPORTED EQUIPMENT TO “TOPPLE OFF”. PRESENT SEISMIC
MOUNTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO OFFER ANY DEGREE OF
ATTENUATION OF THE EARTHQUAKE’S INPUT DISTURBANCE TO
LIMIT DAMAGE OR TEMPORARY INTERRUPTION OF THE SUPPORTED
EQUIPMENT.
IF AND WHEN CONTINUOUS, UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION DURING
AND AFTER A SEISMIC EVENT (OR WIND BUFFETING, OR BOMB
BLAST) BECOMES AN ISSUE, MORE SOPHISTICATED MOUNTS AND
MOUNT MATERIALS, LONG EMBRACED BY THE MILITARY, WILL FIND
THEIR WAY INTO CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE.
 RESTRAINT, OR CAPTIVATING FEATURES IN MOUNTS THAT
MAKE THEM POTENTIALLY SEISMICALLY-RATED, MOBILE OR
ALL-ATTITUDE

UNRESTRAINED, ONLY THE BOND AND

THE RUBBER HOLDS THIS TOGETHER

RESTRAINED BY VIRTUE OF FIELD-

INSTALLED SNUBBING WASHER

WASHER

RESTRAINED BY VIRTUE OF INTERNAL

DESIGN

METAL INTERFERENCE MORE….

INHERENTLY RESTRAINED BY
VIRTUE OF MATERIAL

HELICAL WIRE ROPE MOUNT

AFTER 28 G SUSTAINED LOAD TO
SIMULATE AIRCRAFT CRASH

A RESTRAINED RUBBER MOUNT

PREVENTED A VEHICLE BODY FROM
SEPARATING FROM ITS FRAME
DURING A SIMULATED 40 MPH HEAD-
ON CRASH.
METAL ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN
FURTHER STRENGTHENED SINCE THIS
TEST.
A FEW OTHER APPLICATIONS OF INTEREST

A FOUNDATION
PAD STACK

ELASTOMER

LARGE MOLDED ALL-

ATTITUDE MACHINERY
MOUNTS

SEVERE OUTDOOR
SERVICE
 WIRE ROPE

ROUGH ROAD USE

ARCHITECTURAL FLOATING
FLOOR
HOPEFULLY, THIS SHORT PRESENTATION WILL SHED SOME
LIGHT ON A SUBJECT THAT ALL TOO OFTEN LEAVES
DESIGNERS IN THE DARK.

COMPLIMENTS OF THE ENGINEERS AT WORK TO DEVELOP

AND EXPAND THIS TECHNOLOGY.