Project II: Experimental Study

A. General: The class will be divided into groups of three students. Each group will design
and fabricate a simple structural model and perform experiments. The experimental results
will be compared with the analytical ones, and presented in a report.
B. Description of model: A group can choose a three- to four-story shear building, wherein
mass is lumped at the floors, and the vertical and lateral stiffness are provided by the
vertical columns. A group can go for a structural model that is more involved. For example,
simple mechanisms to increase viscous or friction damping can be used, or a combination of
rollers and springs can be used to develop a seismically isolated system, and so on.
However, the group will need to discuss their project early with the instructor so that
necessary materials can be ordered in time.
C. Goals: The basics goals of this study are following.
i.
ii.

Provide students with hands-on experience of design and fabrication of a simple

structural model.
Perform simple dynamic tests and compare the experimental results (e.g., natural
periods, ambient damping) with the analytical ones.

D. Material to be procured: The following material will likely be available by the next
Friday (September 25, 2015). The same will be distributed almost equally among the three
groups.
Sl. No.

Item

Dimensions

1
2

Floor plate
Base plate

10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 cm
20 cm x 20 cm x 2 cm

Total
number
15
3

Steel strip

60 cm x 2.5 cm x 0.05 cm (0.5 mm)

15

Angles

Width = 2.5 cm (2 ft)

Length of each side = 2.5 cm (1 in)
Thickness = 0.1 cm (1 mm)

120

10 mm

250

40 mm

60

0.5 in

0.5 kg

Nut-bolts

Nails

Remarks
Made of wood.
Made of wood.
Vertical
columns
To connect
steel strips to
the base plates
To connect
angle with the
vertical strip
To connect two
angles and the
wood plate
To increase the
mass at a
particular floor

E. Structure: The six activities of this project are identified in the table below. The project
accounts for 20% of the total weightage of the entire course, and will be graded based on the
final report. Due dates for different stages are listed below.
Activity

Name

Project proposal

Discussion with the

instructor

Revised project proposal

Fabrication

Performing experiments

Final report

Description
Each group will submit a brief
proposal of what they aim to do.
Each group will discuss the proposal
with the instructor by the due date.
Each group will submit the properties
of the experimental model to be
fabricated in the form of a brief report
comprising the mass at different
levels, story heights, lateral stiffness
of different stories, natural periods
and the mode shapes. Calculations
will be presented where necessary.
This proposal will be a part of the final
report.
Each group will work on its own with
some help from Ashwin (from the
workshop)
to
fabricate
the
experimental model.
Each group will perform experiments
to 1) measure as many natural periods
of the structure as possible, 2) ambient
damping. The nature of experiments
will depend on the experimental
facility (e.g., shaker) and recording
tools available (e.g., some sensors
from the electrical engineering
department).
A
report
comprising
acknowledgements,
abstract,
introduction, the revised project
proposal,
experimentally
observed/recorded
response,
comparison
of
the
analytical
calculations before and after the
experiment with the experimental
response,
and
summary
and
conclusions will be submitted.
There will be declaration in the report on
which member has performed how much
percentage of work. This section will
appear right after the title page and will
be signed by all group members, failing
which the report will not be graded.

Due on
Oct 6
Oct 9

Oct 14

Oct 23

Oct 28

Nov 6