SDSU Unveils New Earthquake 'Shaking Table'
Shake Simulator Can Mimic Up to Magnitude 9.0 Quake
San Diego State University’s Structural Engineering Laboratory is home to a new earthquake “shaking table” which can simulate up to a magnitude 9.0 earthquake.
The SDSU “Shaking Table” can recreate the exact motion of any previous earthquake. The table will be used for teaching and research, testing the structural integrity of various full-scale building components and complete scaled structures.
“Failures of mechanical and electrical building components often result in more damage (in terms of cost) than to the building itself,” said SDSU structural engineering professor, Robert K. Dowell, who is also director of the lab. “For hospitals and other important structures, many of the building components are critical and must still work properly following an earthquake. We are able to test these components and their structure to see if they would be able to hold up.”
The indoor shaking table was built by Dowell, as well as several graduate and undergraduate engineering students and technicians. The research conducted on this new shaking table will have a direct effect on national and international earthquake-related building codes.
Dowell is a professor in SDSU’s department of civil and environmental engineering. Established in 1961, SDSU’s College of Engineering offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees through its four departments.
