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Bearing Assemblies

CE marked, steel assemblies that contain elastomeric isolation bearings along with other features such as; levelling plates, fail-safes, and/or load spreading elements. Farrat bearing assemblies can also incorporate disproportionate collapse and horizontal load restraint measures such as acoustically isolated vertical ties and lateral restraints.

Bearing assemblies play a crucial role in mitigating vibrations in buildings.

These are used to support and isolate various building components, such as floors, ceilings, and equipment, from vibrations caused by external sources or internal machinery. We offer a range of types of bearing assemblies used for vibration control in buildings.

Bearing Assembly Features

Levelling plates to assist a fast and accurate installation

Our Levelling Plates incorporate levelling screws to enable faster and more accurate installation. Steel support plates may be an essential requirement to ensure an even load distribution from the bearing into the reinforced concrete supporting structure, especially for small contact areas such as at the top or bottom of columns.

Fail-safes

Where fail-safes are required in the design these can be provided with or without levelling screws and can also be combined with vertical ties and other features as necessary. Fail-safes allow the entire assembly to be delivered as one complete unit with lifting eyes for fast off-loading, distribution and installation.

Lateral restraints

Are generally used for robustness disproportionate collapse prevention (typically 75 kN for internal columns and 150 kN for external) and possibly some degree of in-service lateral load restraint depending on the design and effective length of the column. All buildings will be subject to a degree of lateral loading, typically from wind. The structural design will dictate how that horizontal loading is managed, either through stability cores, shear walls or bracing. There are numerous approaches to lateral restraint where the ideal solution is dependent on a number of factors inherent in the structural frame design. Either way, the building should be designed to avoid excessive lateral restraint as too much will reduce the effectiveness of the vibration isolation system.

Load spreading

Ensure the load from the structure is evenly spread over the entire area of the isolation bearings. To avoid the cost of fabricated shear keys, Farrat can design lateral bearings to be attached to contractor-constructed structural elements.

Our engineering capabilities

Consulting with a structural engineer or vibration control specialist is recommended to determine the most suitable bearing assembly for a specific building and vibration control application.

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