Development and Instrumentation of Low Cost Shake Table

For better analysis of earthquake laboratory facilities with better equipment is required. Earthquake simulation is achieved in laboratory by using shake table. Shake table is used to provide earthquake simulation and to test the prototype and scaled model of the structure. Shake table generates harmonic motion in required direction to study the behaviour of an earthquake of similar pattern. In order to reproduce actual earthquake data, a six-degree of freedom electro-hydraulic shaking table is essential. They are very expensive and require high maintenance and operational costs. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is to develop simple experimental setup with suitable shake table. It is a big challenge to develop shake table for the Earthquake Engineering laboratory at low cost. Single translation (horizontal) degree of freedom shaking tables is useful for laboratory testing to study behaviour of structures. From this perspective, low cost uni-axial shaking tables were designed and fabricated at SGSITS College of Engineering Indore. These low cost shake tables will be used to study behaviour of structure through models under harmonic as well as random excitation. The cost of shake table is very high and it is difficult for the institutes to acquire such facilities. Based on this fact, an effort has been made to fabricate a low cost shake table with required specifications to test models in Earthquake Engineering Laboratory along with a LVDT based instrumentation setup. The instrumentation setup comprises of LVDT and Data Acquisition System. Response of models studied through shake table testing. Shake table with 3 HP motor is costing around Rs 70,000/- respectively. The cost of instrumentation for such set up is only Rs 35,000/-. This effort will fulfil the basic need of the Earthquake Engineering laboratory in form of low cost shake table & required instrumentation, to study behaviour of structure through models by shake table testing.