Experimental Analysis of Mechanical Properties of Disc Spring Uplift‐Restraining Friction Pendulum System

ABSTRACT The disc spring uplift‐restraining friction pendulum system (DUFPS) consists of a conventional friction pendulum system (FPS) and an uplift‐resistant energy dissipation system assembled with disc spring stacks and uplift‐resistant plates. It can achieve horizontal seismic isolation of structures under ambient excitations while providing reliable uplift resistance. To investigate the mechanical characteristics of the DUFPS, a mathematical model of the system was established, and theoretical formulae for its model parameters were derived. A DUFPS specimen was designed and tested under quasi‐static loading. Test results indicate that the horizontal movement and vertical contraction of the disc spring stacks in the DUFPS specimen are independent of each other. Friction between the guide rod and the uplift‐resistant plate primarily controls the horizontal displacement of the isolation bearing. The vertical reaction force provided by the uplift‐resistant plate delivers dependable uplift resistance. To clarify the performance differences and structural innovations between the DUFPS and the conventional FPS, a quasi‐static test was designed for an FPS specimen with identical parameters for comparison. The horizontal hysteretic curves of both devices were obtained under the same loading conditions. Comparative results show that the frictional damping behavior of the DUFPS is significantly superior to that of the FPS, verifying that DUFPS effectively controls the displacement of the seismic isolation bearing while maintaining its isolation performance. To validate the uplift resistance of the DUFPS, finite element simulations of the DUFPS model were carried out using ABAQUS. Based on the curve of the uplift‐resistant plate reaction force versus horizontal displacement, it is confirmed that the DUFPS exhibits a reliable uplift‐restraining capacity.