Ground motion during an earthquake drives a dynamic response that concentrates large forces in a bridge’s piers, abutments, and superstructure. ISOSISM® systems control that response, an approach Freyssinet has designed around site-specific demand for decades.
Bridges and viaducts are the primary application, alongside industrial sites, energy infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and heritage structures. The same systems cover new construction, retrofitting, and post-earthquake repairs across the full asset life cycle.
Four engineering principles underpin the range, used alone or combined: seismic isolation, energy dissipation, structural connection, and movement accommodation. Span length and site conditions set the mix.
Projects using ISOSISM® typically see up to 15% in initial cost savings. Structures also stay operational after a seismic event, which removes downtime and reconstruction spending.
Lower seismic demand on superstructure and foundation elements means less built-in capacity, cutting material use and environmental impact.
Our ISOSISM® devices and components install, replace, and maintain easily, so long-term reliability needs no heavy upkeep program.
All systems meet international standards, with CE marking on request, documenting seismic performance and safety against defined criteria.
Each seismic protection strategy is engineered to the specific structure, drawing on its design, location, and project budget.
One team covers risk assessment, structural analysis, supply, installation, and maintenance, so responsibility for seismic performance never changes hands.
Freyssinet technical specialists join a project at the earliest design stages to:
Engineering insight and seismic risk analysis reach both structural designers and owners, alongside our wider bridge construction services. Earlier decisions lower overall construction costs and provide significant resilience gains for the finished asset.
Every project starts with a detailed evaluation of the structure’s seismic behavior, using linear spectral analysis and non-linear time history analysis. The required performance criteria then drive how the ISOSISM® solution is designed for that specific structure.
Prototypes are developed and tested in-house at our ISOLAB facility in Italy, a critical checkpoint before production begins.
Manufacturing follows CE marking standards, which holds quality and compliance consistent across batches. Up to 20% of production batches undergo structural testing at ISOLAB, home to some of the most advanced seismic testing equipment in Europe.
Freyssinet provides technical assistance on site so every ISOSISM® device is fitted to project specifications. Our teams can also manage the full installation, including all related works, the most effective way to hold the system to design intent.
Photo credit : ITER Organization
After a seismic event, our engineers inspect the protection systems, assess any structural damage, and recommend the repairs or reinforcements needed to restore full functionality.
Damping systems absorb and dissipate seismic energy, which reduces the force an earthquake transmits into the structure. Energy dissipation works well under sudden stress, such as seismic shocks or vessel impacts, while still allowing smooth movement in normal service. Damping can be combined with isolation technologies such as High Damping Rubber Bearings to control large displacements and reduce internal stress.
Isolation systems increase a bridge’s fundamental vibration period, which cuts its response to seismic acceleration, often by a factor of two or three. That function is delivered through structural bearings for bridges sized for the span.
The Shock Transmission Unit (STU) links separate structures or creates fixed points in civil engineering projects. It locks under fast horizontal loading from an earthquake, high-speed train braking, or strong winds, transferring that load across the deck.
The SFX joint is a supported mat joint that absorbs movement through elastomeric components, sized for seismic displacement rather than the daily cycles of bridge expansion joints.
Existing structures follow a different route from new construction. Seismic retrofitting for existing structures covers strategy, in-house design, manufacturing, and installation, and can provide structural reinforcement and post-earthquake repairs.
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