Design considerations for seismic testing facilities

Overview

Seismic testing is essential for a wide range of stakeholders across multiple industries. However, establishing such a facility requires careful consideration of numerous factors, including site selection, building design, equipment performance, power and cooling requirements.

This presentation brings together contributions from Servotest – a specialist supplier of servo-hydraulic mechanical testing solutions – and researchers from the University of Camerino in Italy.

The speakers will discuss issues involved in realising a seismic testing facility, a step-by-step overview of the key decisions involved, and the options available at each stage and the advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions. 

Some of the challenges will be illustrated in an overview of the STRIC project at the University of Camerino, a new international research centre focused on physical, economic, and social reconstruction after natural disasters.

The presentation will describe the structural design of the laboratory, with particular attention to its caisson foundation, which performs several integrated functions: it houses the shaking tables and their hydraulic pumps, supports the steel superstructure, and acts as the reaction mass required for shaking-table operations.

Given this multifunctional configuration, detailed investigations were conducted into the soil–structure interaction associated with vibrations transmitted to the surrounding ground, as well as the vibration levels induced in the other structures of the laboratory complex. 

Finally, the presentation will introduce the laboratory’s hybrid testing capabilities and discuss potential future experimental applications.