Shake, Rattle and Roll at the Earthquake Modeling and Simulation Facility
Participants of the President’s Forum visited the seismic laboratory testing facility, supervised by Professor Thomas Attard, whose primary research focus is earthquake engineering and structural dynamics. The earthquake simulator can reproduce the motions of specific earthquakes by mimicking the seismograph recordings from actual earthquakes. The laboratory officially opened on April 19 with an open house that showcased the capabilities of the earthquake simulator.
Professor Attard is investigating mitigation designs to better protect both structures and their contents from earthquake damage. Because of the diversity of the region, he is also investigating how even a small earthquake can adversely impact water towers, silos and canals – in addition to homes, tall buildings and bridges.
We plan to expand the testing facility to include a larger-scale bridge testing unit within the next five years. By knowing more realistically how an entire bridge would respond to an earthquake, structural engineers can design stronger bridges that can better withstand earthquakes.
Video of the earthquake simulator (Windows Media 5.6mb)
Photos and more information