Reusing Tennis Balls for Seismic Isolation

Even though earthquakes are a global phenomenon, most deaths are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (e.g., Andean Countries and Central America, India, Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, Algeria), mainly because structural codes are not followed. This is because earthquake-resistant methods developed in high-income countries are very expensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need for methods tailored to the financial resources of LMICs.
Suggesting low-cost seismic design methods for LMICs is a complex and challenging problem because it needs to a) take into account local architecture and construction practices, b) use locally available materials that do not require expensive quality assurance procedures, c) reach the local engineers, construction workers and be accepted by the end users d) be extensively tested, as it involves life safety.
This project suggests a low-cost seismic isolation method that uses reused tennis balls filled with cement mortar as isolation devices. It can be applied to masonry, which is the most commonly used material in LMICs, and it can also serve as a paradigm for the concept of reuse and circular economy in construction in these countries.
Because of the different conditions of every country, a unique turnkey solution cannot be provided, as adaptations to local conditions will always be required. Therefore, this project will use Cuba as a starting point, with the mid-term aim of scaling up to more countries.

Project Partners: external page Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Sismologicas (CENAIS), external page Dirección Provincial de la Vivienda, external page Empresa Provincial de Mantenimiento Vial y Construcciones (Cuba)