Dynamic Characteristics of the Historical Foundation System for Energy Dissipation

Earthquakes pose significant threats to human lives and structures, making the study of seismic-resistant foundation systems crucial. This paper investigates the seismic performance of the historical foundation system at the Bulguksa Temple in Korea, which utilizes natural stones stacked in layers for energy dissipation. The system allows controlled movement during earthquakes, dissipating seismic energy through friction and reducing damaging forces transmitted to the superstructures. A test specimen replicating the temple’s foundation was subjected to shake table tests with varying scales of ground motions. The specimen exhibited elastic behavior at lower excitation scales but demonstrated inelastic behavior after reaching the friction force. It showed enhanced energy dissipation capacity at higher scales, effectively reducing response acceleration during seismic events. The results highlight the foundation system’s potential in minimizing structural damage and ensuring the safety of historical buildings. This study provides valuable insights for seismic-resistant design strategies in traditional structures, promoting earthquake resilience and cultural heritage preservation. Further investigations will be conducted to explore response of superstructures affected by this foundation system.