As modern cities become more densely populated, it is common practice to develop sites that are near or directly above roads and railway lines. Despite these hostile conditions, government legislation and client’s expectations still demand the buildings to be quiet and comfortable for the occupants. Mounting buildings on resilient bearings (springs) has been proven to dramatically reduce the level of vibration disturbance passing through to the building. Steel-laminated natural rubber bearings that were originally designed during the 1950s to support bridges were further developed during the 1960s to be successfully implemented as vibration isolation bearings installed beneath buildings. This paper presents some basic principles of vibration isolation of buildings and includes examples of buildings that have been protected by bearings. The development of laminated rubber bearings to isolate and protect structures from potentially destructive earthquakes is also discussed.

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