Taking the shake out of quakes

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A technology first used during the Cold War to isolate ballistic missile silos from vibrations is to be tested on a full-scale, wood-frame townhouse subjected to a simulated earthquakes.

A technology first used during the Cold War to isolate ballistic missile silos from vibrations is to be tested on a full-scale, wood-frame townhouse subjected to a simulated 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

The experiment will take place in the University at Buffalo's Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory (SEESL) on 6 July.  The goal of the project is to find out if fluid seismic dampers would minimise earthquake damage to wood-frame homes.

The test townhouse at University of Buffalo (UB) was constructed this spring as part of NEESWood, a four-year, $1.24 million National Science Foundation-funded consortium project, as reported on The Engineer Online.

"The idea with this test is to apply dampers in a real-life situation," said Andre Filiatrault, professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering and the leader of the NEESWood experiments at UB. "We want to find out if incorporating these dampers in a wood-frame residence is feasible from all practical perspectives, including construction, performance and economics."

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