NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Evaluation of the Feasibility of Establishing a National Testing Capability for the Simulation of Earthquake Loads on Large-Scale Structures.
- File
- PB81243875.pdf
- Author(s)
- Higgins, C. J.; Steedman, D. W.
- Source
- National Science Foundation, Washington, DC., March 1981, 57 p.
- Abstract
- The evaluation was conducted through literature investigations and communications with over 120 engineers and scientists active in the field of earthquake engineering. Information was sought and evaluated on the need for large-scale testing, high priority projects, test facility requirements, management concepts, and funding requirements. There was a consensus that there is strong justification for a national large-scale testing program to provide data to enable validation of existing design and analysis methods and to provide the basis for improving these methods. Testing is particularly needed to allow thorough investigation of the nonlinearities and inelasticities in the behavior of realistic structures as they approach their ultimate capacity. Several main technical concerns which must be addressed in a large-scale testing program were noted, including the definition of large-scale, the place of large-scale testing in the overall scheme of earthquake engineering research, the planning and cost estimating for the development of test support requirements, and a management concept integrating the capabilities and interests of university, industry, consulting, and government engineers and scientists.
- Keywords
- Structures; Research management; Research projects; Test facilities; Shaker tables; Cost estimates; Earthquake engineering; Technology assessments; Recommendations; Earthquakes