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Simplified methods of analysis described in codes and specifications for seismically isolated structures are always used either directly in special cases or for checking the results of nonlinear response history analysis (RHA). Important predictions for seismically isolated structures by simplified methods are the maximum displacements and base shears of the isolation system. In this study, the maximum isolator displacements and base shears determined by nonlinear RHA are compared with those determined by the equivalent lateral force (ELF) procedure in order to assess the accuracy of the simplified method in the case of bi-directional excitations with near-field characteristics. However, although there are currently many methods for ground motion selection and scaling, little guidance is available to classify which method is more appropriate than the others in any applications. Features of this study are that the ground motions used in analysis are selected and scaled using contemporary concepts and that the ground excitation is considered biv directional. The variations in response of isolated structures due to application of ground motions uni-directionally and bi-directionally are also studied by employing a scaling procedure that is appropriate for the bi-directional analysis. The proposed new scaling methodology is an amplitude scaling method that is capable of preserving the horizontal orthogonal components and it is developed especially for dynamic analysis of isolated structures. Analyses are conducted for two different symmetric reinforced concrete isolated structure for two different soil conditions in structural analysis program SAP2000. Effect of asymmetry in superstructure on isolator displacement is also investigated with further analyses considering 5% mass eccentricity at each floor level. Furthermore, once the significance of the orthogonal horizontal component on the response of isolation system is shown, the biaxial interaction of hysteretic behavior of lead rubber bearings is implemented in OpenSees by developing a subroutine which was not readily available.