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Natural disasters can occur unexpectedly, leading to significant loss of life and extensive financial damage. Researchers utilize these advanced machines to enhance our preparedness and response strategies.
1. Shake Table at UC San Diego Jacobs School
If you enjoyed constructing block houses and demolishing them as a child, UC San Diego might be the perfect place for you. Scientists there frequently build full-scale structures on a massive 25 x 40-foot table—the largest of its kind in the nation—and subject them to intense shaking. This helps evaluate the resilience of various construction methods, materials, and retrofitting techniques in earthquake scenarios.
The $5.9 million hydraulically-driven machine can operate at speeds of up to 6 feet per second, generating forces as high as 4.2 Gs. It has been utilized to evaluate a wide range of structures and systems, including wind turbines, masonry, wood-frame and precast concrete buildings, as well as non-structural components like stairs, elevators, and hospital equipment, as stated in a university press release. Watch as it subjects a retrofitted 4-story 1920s-style building with cross-laminated timber to rigorous testing.
2. Tornado Simulator at Iowa State University
This groundbreaking machine, launched in 2004, features two main components: a massive cylinder, supported by a 5-ton crane, housing a 6-foot-wide fan, and an adjustable test bed. Researchers build miniature towns on the test bed, activate the fan to produce a tornado-like vortex with 55mph winds, and maneuver it over the model. Its large scale enables the creation of more detailed and realistic structures, offering a clearer understanding of tornado impacts.
3. and 4. Tsunami Basin and Large Wave Flume at Oregon State University
The O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University boasts two advanced wave-generating machines. The Directional Tsunami Wavemaker, measuring 160 feet long, 87 feet wide, and 7 feet deep, employs electric motors and pistons to control 29 waveboards, simulating powerful tsunami waves.
The Large Wave Flume, the biggest in North America, spans 342 feet in length, 12 feet in width, and 15 feet in depth, capable of generating waves up to 5 feet high. Researchers use these facilities to examine how natural waves impact various structures, including buildings, telephone poles, and levees. Recent studies conducted with these machines suggest that coastal forests could play a role in reducing tsunami-related destruction.
5. Florida International University’s “Wall of Wind” Hurricane Simulator
This huge, $8 million apparatus features 12 fans, each 6 feet in diameter and 700hp, capable of producing winds up to 157 mph—equivalent to those in a Category 5 hurricane. At full capacity, it moves as much air as 7650 leaf blowers. In a test, the FIU team constructed two buildings: one adhering to pre-1992 codes before Hurricane Andrew, and another following updated standards. As reported by the Miami Herald,
Roof shingles were the first to fail, but the pre-Andrew designs, designed for just 60 mph, performed nearly as well as the newer, heavier materials rated for 130 mph. Half of the supposedly stronger shingles started peeling away when winds reached 109 mph, barely Category 2 strength. However, as wind speeds increased, the difference between old and new designs became stark. At Category 3, the older design lost half of its tar paper, essential for waterproofing. By Category 4, a section of the thinner plywood sheathing began to buckle violently before being ripped off entirely.
