Seismic Isolation: Applications of WorkSafe Technologies Ball-N-Cone Isolator

The WorkSafe ISO-Base planks, Isolated Raised Access Floor and Isolated Equipment Platform take a new approach to protection of building contents in seismic areas by implementing isolation technology. Seismic isolation has been in use since the 1970s to protect buildings and other large structures from earthquake shaking in seismically active areas around the world. Seismic isolation technology works by decoupling the isolated component from the ground, essentially allowing the ground to move underneath the component without transmitting the damaging accelerations above the plane of isolation. WorkSafe Technologies owns the patents on the Ball-N-Cone isolation technology, which uses a steel dish and ball bearing to provide seismic isolation and has developed systems for isolating individual cabinets as well as entire access floors. The technology has now been extended to include large isolated platforms, suitable for large heavy items such as equipment, art installations and potentially light framed residential construction. The patented Ball-N-Cone isolators are well suited to the lighter vertical loads associated with building contents compared to those present in larger building and bridge structures. The WorkSafe ISO-Base planks are unique in applying isolation technology to individual server cabinets, or rows of cabinets. The Isolated Raised Access Floor (IRAF) applies the same isolation technology, but to an entire access floor by moving the isolation plane to the base of the access floor pedestals. The benefits of using isolation as opposed to conventional bracing are two-fold — critical equipment is protected against damaging earthquake accelerations and facility managers do not have to deal with installing traditional bracing, with the associated concrete drilling and relatively heavy construction in the sensitive data center environment. The Isolated Equipment Platform extends the use of the Ball-N-Cone isolator to heavier components such as large pieces of equipment, art installations and potentially light framed construction. This paper presents several case studies on the applications of equipment isolation and the benefits it provides.