Engineering Research Equipment Grant: Renovation and Up- grading of the Earthquake Simulator Capability

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This is an equipment grant to upgrade and improve the capability of the earthquake simulator (shaking table) facility at the Earthquake Engineering Research Center of the University of California at Berkeley. The 20 ft. x 20 ft. shaking table that was completed, and began its operation, in 1972 is still one of the largest in the United States. This facility has been in use virtually continuously since its construction for research performed by faculty members at Berkeley and at other universities throughout the U.S. and the world, by engineers from consulting firms, and for services to industry, corporations and government agencies. Although the shaking table continues to be used, by 1985 it became evident that the facility was in serious need of renovation. In 1986 the State of California and the National Science Foundation allocated funds for the renovation of this facility as well as to explore the possibility of adding the missing third transnational component of motion to the table. Most of the renovation and improvement work contemplated in these allocations has been completed. In recognition of the importance of implementing simultaneous capability for the table in the three transnational components that a seismic ground motion can have, the University of California at Berkeley has allocated additional funds for the design, construction and installation of the modifications necessary to increase the existing electrical power. This action will provide support for the necessary upgrading of the present hydraulic fluid capacity to about twice the current capacity. The addition of the third transnational component will permit conducting integrated analytical and experimental research on the response of three-dimensional test structures to multi- directional excitations. This project will elevate the nation's earthquake engineering experimental research capability to a new level of higher potential achievements.