KQED-Science, as part of their “Engineering Is…” Quest Series recently visited the PEER-UC Berkeley lab and produced the video “Simulating Earthquakes with a Shaking Table”.
The five-minute video showcases the important shaking table testing being done at the PEER-UC Berkeley lab. The graphic video footage of structures violently shaking and crumbling on the shaking table emphasizes the need for testing to improve the way structures will respond to an earthquake before the next earthquake hits.
The video also highlights one of the most significant developments to come out of testing on the shaking table: proof of concept testing of energy dissipation devices. Allowing a structure to rock to dissipate energy has become one of the most effective ways to minimize damage from earthquakes. As a result, facilities such as airports, hospitals, and government buildings have been retrofitted or newly designed with energy dissipation devices such as base isolators and dampers which will significantly reduce structural and non-structural damage so that operations can resume quickly after an earthquake.
PEER is extremely grateful to KQED-Science for recognizing the importance of shaking table testing in improving the seismic performance of the built environment.