Learning from the Past: The Resilient Design and Performance of Seismically Isolated Buildings in Japan

This paper reviews the 40-year history of seismically isolated buildings in Japan and discusses the challenges in the development and dissemination of the technology. Although seismic isolation has shown excellent performance in past earthquakes, there are still many problems, such as damage to expansion joints and other nonstructural components. In addition, although there are many examples of high-rise seismically isolated buildings in Japan, there are few examples worldwide. Because seismic isolation requires high-level knowledge and technology in design, construction, and maintenance, the development of technical guidelines is essential for its widespread use. Finally, international standards (ISO 23618) for seismic isolation design are introduced.