EERF
Earthquake Engineering Research Facility
The Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF) has been in operation since the fall of 2003. It brings together under one roof an impressive array of test equipment for specialized research on earthquakes and their effects on structures and the soil that supports them.
The 10 m high overhead area of the EERF enables the testing of large scale structural models. Three different earthquake simulators (or shake tables) are housed in the facility. The centre-piece of the facility is the six-degrees-of-freedom shake table, with a footprint of about 4 m by 4 m and the capacity to shake 30-tonnes structures. The six degrees of freedom allow researchers to mimic more realistically the shaking produced by actual earthquakes. The second shake table has a footprint of about 6 m by 6 m, has a payload capacity of about 100 tonnes, and is used for the uni-axial testing of large-size structures. To put this in perspective, a small, two-storey house weighs approximately 50 tonnes. This shake table is also used for geotechnical studies of large scale foundation models to investigate important problems in seismic design, such as the interaction between a structure and its supporting soil and soil liquefaction effects on structures. The EERF also has a third, portable uni-axial shake table for testing small structures and building components.
In addition to housing world-class equipment, the EERF is designed with
state-of-the-art Internet, multimedia and video-conferencing technology.
A unique aspect of the EERF is its capability for long-distance connectivity
with other research centres in Canada and abroad. This technology
allows researchers from other universities access to a ‘virtual laboratory,’
where they can actively interact with EERF researchers during the various
phases of a research project. As well, the strengths of our research team,
combined with the beautiful setting of Vancouver, makes this facility
very attractive to visiting researchers, particularly from the Pacific
Rim, where about 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur.
For more information, please contact Prof. Carlos
Ventura, Director of
EERF or Mr. Felix Yao, Manager, Earthquake & Structural Labs.
EERF is located at 2235 East Mall.
