World's largest earthquake shake test

[paddingtongreen]

This video is truly awesome, and I use the word advisedly.

http://www.engineering.com/Videos/t...s-Largest-Earthquake-Shake-Test-In-Japan.aspx

Michael.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

 

[concretemasonry]

Real testing is very fascinating and makes you think.

The video brings back memories when we attached accelerometers to every joint on a steel frame rocket test stand (60x60x80) that carried about 175,000# of fuel while the gimbaling rocket engine went through a 4 minute test. All critical design loads went up and not down. We had access to an air frame design/analysis program and compared the current(at the time) AISC code/standards.

A great education.

Engineer and international traveler interested in construction techniques, problems and proper design.

 

[a2mfk]

I wonder a few things, and I am in wind-only country so pardon my ignorance:
-how many tables in the world can also simultaneously produce vertical movements?
-that event seemed very short, but perhaps the magnitude of the event they were testing only may last 15 seconds?
-it seemed like relatively low magnitude until I saw the interior shot
-the structure seemed to perform well, but it was likely over engineered and built in a lab. But I am impressed by how well a 6-story wood frame structure was able to resist the event without any major damage (from what they showed)...

 

[3doorsdwn]

Interesting. It seemed like the accelerations the R/C frame was subjected too was stronger. Also it seemed like they had the top of the R/C frame strike a support.

 

[CSNuke]

a2mfk - I'm a little familiar with shake table seismic testing. There are a lot of tables that can do 3 axis random movement, but none that large. I believe wikipedia actually has a page that shows a lot of the shake tables.

I believe most seismic shake table tests don't last much more than 20 seconds.

It looks like they are recreating the Northridge earthquake, which was one of the major ones. I don't think the video does justice to it.