NEES TIPS/E-Defense Announce Blind Analysis Contest for Seismic Isolation Test

In a collaborative effort between the NEES TIPS project (NSF Grant No. CMMI 1113275), NEES Nonstructural (NSF Grant No. CMMI 0721399), and NIED in Japan, a 5-story steel moment frame building will be subjected to extreme earthquake loading at E-Defense, the world’s largest three-dimensional shaking table in Miki City. The seismic performance of the building will be assessed in three configurations: 1) with EPS triple pendulum isolators designed to provide damage free performance in an MCE, 2) with DIS lead rubber bearings designed for the performance objectives of a nuclear power plant in beyond design basis shaking, and 3) conventional base configuration. Nonstructural components including interior walls, ceilings, piping system, and concrete cladding panels will be installed at the building’s 4th and 5th floors. The tests will take place during a 3 week time frame in August 2011, with 6 days of shaking anticipated.

The Center for Urban Earthquake Engineering (CUEE) at the Tokyo Institute of Technology has announced a Blind Analysis Contest for this full-scale 5-story steel building experiment. Interested participants are expected to predict the responses before and after the test, and the closest predictions to the test results will receive awards.

The contest is divided into two categories: prediction of response of (1) triple pendulum isolated and (2) conventional configurations. Thus, two winners, one from each category, will be recognized. All participants, however, are required to submit predictions for both configurations to be considered for an award. Winners will be invited to and honored at the 9th International Conference on Urban Earthquake Engineering, March 2012, held by CUEE in Tokyo, Japan. The winners’ travel expenses, accommodations, and registration will be covered by the contest sponsor.