The University of California, San Francisco, is testing the tallest building on an earthquake simulator

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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A shaking table beneath a 10-story building simulates magnitude 6.7 and 7.7 earthquakes.

“This is the longest model ever tested on a vibration table, so it’s a historic test,” said Joel Conti, professor of structural engineering at UCSD.

This is at the Center for Structural Engineering at the University of California, San Francisco. More than 20 organizations worked for more than 15 years to put it together, so it was very gratifying that the test was a success. I was able to see what the simulation was like behind the scenes and inside the building itself.

“Here we have these slotted screws that allow the ladders to move back and forth without breaking,” said Dan Zenner of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure Network (NHERI).

The engineers made every piece of the building respond to sudden movement.

“It absorbs energy as an earthquake approaches,” Zenner said.

This test improves the ability to withstand large earthquakes. It also has long-term effects on building materials. Most tall towers are made of concrete or steel, but some are also made of wood.

“Wood is better because it’s renewable, it grows from a forest, and it helps sequester carbon,” said Shiling Pei, NHERI’s principal investigator. “We believe this is the direction cities of the future should take.”

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