González, ArturoArturoGonzálezAied, HusseinHusseinAied2015-05-142015-05-142015 the a2015-04Advances in Mechanical Engineeringhttp://hdl.handle.net/10197/6559Changes in the performance of bearings can significantly vary the distribution of internal forces and moments in a structure as a result of environmental or operational loads. The response of a bearing has been traditionally idealized using a linear model but a non-linear representation produces a more accurate picture at the expense of modelling complexity and computational time. In this article, a lead rubber bearing is idealized using the hysteretic Bouc–Wen model. The Hilbert–Huang transform is then employed to characterize the features of the non-linear system from the instantaneous frequencies of the bearing response to a time-varying force. Instantaneous frequencies are also shown to be a useful tool in detecting sudden damage to the bearings simulated by a reduction in the effective stiffness of the force-deformation loop.enBouc-WenElastomeric bearingsNonlinear structural dynamicsHilbert-Huang transformJournal Article7411310.1177/16878140155821202015-05-05https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ie/