Columbia University
Department of Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics
Research Shake Table Facility
 The Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics has recently acquired a medium-scale shake table facility to conduct experimentation in  structural dynamics and particularly how to monitor and actively control structures subjected to earthquake ground motions or other force excitations. The table, which was custom designed by ANCO Engineers for the Department is capable of carrying a maximum 3-ton payload on the 5ft x 5ft table, and is capable of shaking a 2-ton payload with 3 g acceleration (i.e. three times the acceleration of gravity in the horizontal direction). The shake table is ideally suited to seismic applications, because the hydraulic actuator can produce a stroke of +/- 5 inches (10 inch total stroke). The actuator has a 3-stage servo-valve controlled by an analog inner-loop control system (displacement based), and a digital outer-loop control system (acceleration feedback based).

For further information on the Dynamic Shake Table contact Prof. Andrew Smyth at (212)-854-3369
Figure 1. Shake Table Overview
Figure 1. Columbia University Medium-Scale Dynamic Shake Table Facility 
in the Carleton Strength of Materials Laboratory

Figure 2. Design Spectrum

Figure 2. Design Spectrum of the Columbia Univ. Shake Table for 2-ton Payload.
(Actual Performance Exceeds Design Spectrum)
 

Summary of Key Features
Uniaxial horizontal motion
5ft x 5ft steel table
Dual roller- rail bearings to guide table
Peak-to-peak displacement of 10 inches double amplitude
Peak velocity of 60 in/sec
Peak acceleration (with 2-ton test specimen) of 3.0g
Maximum test specimen weight of 2 tons
Frequency range 0-100Hz (design) (Actual performance exceeds this spec.)
 Data Acquisition SystemThe current data acquisition system includes the Data Physics digital controller, Microstar Labs and National Instruments data acquisition cards. Most of the data pre- and post-processing is performed in MATLAB on 2 dedicated computers which are also network accessible.
 
Figure 3. Lab Computers
Figure 5. Close-up of the 22 kip actuator
Figure 3. Data Acquisition and Table Control Computers. 
(Hydraulic Accumulators in Background).
 
Figure 4. Close-up of the 22 kip actuator with its 
3-stage servovalve.