Shake Table Testing

In order to test the performance of an innovative seismic response reduction system, the Inertial force-limiting Floor Anchorage System (IFAS system), a four-story half-scale concrete building structure was tested at the large outdoor shake table at NEES@UCSD. Three phases were performed in the testing program: 

• Phase 1: Rocking wall structure with the IFAS system
• Phase 2: Rocking wall structure with a traditional floor anchorage
• Phase 3: Traditional shear wall structure with high strength reinforcement

Three short videos from the testing are presented here:

This video shows the plan view of the Phase 2 test of the Berkeley MCE earthquake on Jan. 17th, 2014. The Phase 2 structure is used for representing a traditional rocking wall structure which is used for comparing with the IFAS structure response in Phase 1.

This video shows an Isometric and plan view of the Phase 1 test of the Berkeley MCE earthquake on Dec. 20th, 2014. This video demonstrates  the structural response with the IFAS system.

Different components were incorporated in the IFAS system to reduce the seismic effect in the structure. A Friction Damper was used in the longitudinal direction (east-west direction) of the structure; similarly, buckling restrained braces (BRB) were used in the transverse direction (north-south direction) of the structure. The BRB is supported by a concrete casing in order to prevent buckling under axial compression. The third video shows how the BRB performed under the Berkeley MCE earthquake on Dec. 20th, 2014.