Building It Better: Earthquake Testing Metal Buildings

See all the action as industry and university researchers team up to find the limits of innovative metal building designs as they are subjected to some of the most extreme earthquake shaking ever recorded. Series: Earthquake and Seismology Programs [9/2010] [Science] [Show ID: 18699]

[@facelessone86]

It looks like the movement is only in one axis. I wounder what would happen if they did the test again and rotate the structure 90 degrees.

[@insidebabashead8591]

They stated the test was designed to simulate actual quake dynamics. I can't imagine they'd only take two axies into consideration.

[@whoever6458]

I only see motion back and forth but every earthquake I've been in has had other motions and I think that sometimes it's the torsional moment that causes a structure to collapse. There is also at least some vertical motion, particularly in thrust earthquakes. I was in one in the 5 range in South America and the upward motion is noticeable, especially at the beginning of the earthquake.

[@majermike]

structural engineers design systems to resist all 3 directions. this test is a simplification and does provide insight. in fact, insightful experiments must eliminate variables to the greatest extent possible to be meaningful.

[@luckydog9500]

Why put the heavy concrete panels on these buildings? Chunks of concrete kill people. Many quakes have up and down shaking alternating with side to side shaking.

[@HyattBludCleanupCrew]

Concrete panels have rebar typically 6" on center each way. This significantly reduces pieces breaking off. Also we design for a building to not fall over, not so there is no damage. Glass panels falling 20 stories is just as leathal.

[@bilyanchaushev773]

We have two separate "end" frames which is different from having an "intermediate" frame because the load area is twice smaller for the frame. That should affect the end results if I'm not mistaken. (I hope you understood what I meant)

[@uctv]

Glad you like it! Click the new annotation at the open to watch our latest documentary about earthquake testing. Some amazing dramatic footage!

[@JS-xs5hq]

It appears as though the test structure is not bolted down and undulates as a result. "IF" it is not bolted down, like a real world situation, then much of the energy is dissipated in the movement as the building dances during the simulated quake. If this is true, then this is not a valid test and is bogus.

[@insidebabashead8591]

At first, I thought what you thought. However, on taking another look, I believe the upper portion of the test platform represents the foundation, with the bottom, sliding section representing the Earth, which moves during a quake.

[@jamaludinshamsudin4821]

good effort, but not represent the actual motion of the earth quake which is 6 axis motion instead of 1 linear 2 motion on left and right in this test.

[@majermike]

there are 3 axes, not 6

[@harold.one.feather]

That’s not what happened in Taiwan best sell your Oakland condo, those downtown skyscrapers are mostly empty anyways

[@beardy4831]

Good thing they ran it to past 200%, because they are only simulating the weights for end frames in the structure. Intermediate frames would have 2X as much wall and roof attached to them.

[@jimsilvey5432]

You are right.

[@mrpolo1111]

Thank You Very Much for uploading this video! Being a civil engineer myself, i had learned so much information on the behavior of metals i.e. I-Beams during an earthquake.. Seismic design and analysis is very important in every structure.. For we don't know where and when an earthquake might strike. Again Thank you!

[@LeeEn-gd4hg]

what about concrete roof with 2m snow?

[@keymonkey1230]

dang! all the discrimination on metal buildings then their earthquake simulator broke! hahaha!

[@highkicker11]

i would question if the building would get loads on it other then left to right. after all earth quakes dont produce strait motions

[@smurftums]

It would be interesting with the third test (with the suspended horizontal concrete slab) to connect the suspended concrete slab to the rest of the structure, with some form of damping system, so the suspended concrete slab can be used as a simple type of mass damper, for the building.

[@brandtfj]

yah..but.. all the heavy warehouse shelving is going to tip over and smash over the side of the building

[@MilciadesAndrion]

Natural disasters may be a way to learn about the performance of materials for instance during earthquakes. One example is to analyze the behavior of steel as a ductile material.

[@786otto]

That's some good testing. But what magnitude it was designed for?

[@edmondenterprisesgrouphold3782]

wow good info thanks for showing

[@liboy9844]

That’s just a light- weight steel hangar only found in aerodromes and industrial sites...lets see one with a full concrete slab at roof height like a real building in the city. C’mon guys, get real.

[@Altdisneystudio]

Maybe that is the solution rather than concrete use on earthquake zones

[@parkergreene4053]

watch the whole video

[@jimsilvey5432]

I think the intent was to determine the effects of seismic load on this special class of buildings (steel framed buildings with metal roofs).

[@jamesardinez9923]

Very imformative.

[@ETQvlog]

Thanks

[@tstatech]

I wander if they take rides on the simulator. 150%, even 300% isn't shit. Every additional whole number in the Richter scale accounts for %1000 increase in intensity. 475 years isn't all that long, though it probably is for a steel building. What happens to that structure at the ends of the building? You would assume that it would be stronger but maybe not, especially for large slabs of vertical concrete pounding into one another. What if concrete is used only on one side?

[@MKokalari]

In the direction that is being tested I would not expect any damage. I would have liked to see the other direction.

[@majermike]

real buildings have seismic frames in both directions. testing in the other direction with no seismic frame would be meaningless.

[@MKokalari]

@@majermike Not these buildings they don't. They have tension bracing in the other direction and you can see them in the video.