Alternative Dynamic Testing by Active Control

Abstract

As the general public becomes increasingly aware of the seismic risk to structures, Americans expect assurance from structural engineering professionals that building designs are safe and reliable. Increasing public scrutiny places even greater emphasis on the need for research and validation of performance-based earthquake engineering designs. Current methods for experimental validation of designs with full-scale tests (e.g. shake table and pseudo dynamic testing) can be extremely expensive and the facilities necessary are not available at many universities. This thesis proposes an Alternative Dynamic Test which uses a properly scaled model test specimen and a desktop shake table to perform accurate experimental validation of structural designs. The methodology and laboratory setup of this testing method are discussed including the motor characterization and power requirements. Error approximation and practical implementation of the Alternative Dynamic Test are also addressed.