Title:
Base Isolation and Post-Tensioning
Author(s):
Luis M. Bozzo
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
27
Issue:
4
Appears on pages(s):
41-44
Keywords:
base isolation; post-tensioning; spring system; floor loads
DOI:
Date:
4/1/2005
Abstract:
The design of the new Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, is described. The architectural design required large open bays and located surgical rooms as much as three floors underground, with the exterior walls located only 2 m from existing subway lines. To provide long spans and to avoid potential vibration problems, post-tensioned floors were combined with base isolation. This minimized the self-weight of the structure, and thereby minimized the costs of the isolation systems themselves.