Response of SDOF System Coupled with Inerter Based Isolators Under Blast Load

In the present study, the response of a single degree of freedom (SDOF) system coupled with inerter based isolator is investigated when it is subjected to an exponentially decaying force which represents a typical blast scenario. Inerter is a passive mechanical element with a characteristic that the applied force at its nodes is proportional to the relative acceleration between these nodes. The response of the SDOF system is influenced by the type of arrangement of mechanical elements as spring dashpot and inerter in the isolation system and the ratio of the natural period of the system to the duration of blast load. The governing equations of motion of the SDOF system coupled with different configurations of inerter based isolators are generalized in a nondimensional form and solved to obtain the nondimensional maximum response of the system. The response is compared when the SDOF system is coupled only with the spring-dashpot isolation system. It is observed that certain inerter based configurations outperform the spring-dashpot isolators.