Earthquake Testing in High rise
Semester 5 | Architectural Building Construction & Materials
Ar. K V Parmeshwar
Ar. Hardik Dedhia
Studio Conductors
The intent of the project was to understand how lateral forces affect the strength and stability of a high rise structure. The effect of lateral forces against the structure was to be analysed through earthquake simulation and wind load testing.
The students were given a floor plate area and were asked to design the floor plate which would be replicated on all floors of the building. After the ideation of the form of the structure, students went ahead to make the structure using materials like watchmakers and rubber adhesives and clay, so that the joints wouldn’t be rigid and they could test the effect of the lateral forces on the joints. The second stage involved creating shake tables or vibrating tables in order to create an earthquake stimulation. After, The students had to place their structures on the shake table and understand the movement caused by the vibration. The students chalked out diagrams of the forces after observation. For wind testing, the students explored ways to create a facade on the skeleton of their structure and exposed it to wind speeds with the availability of hair dryers and table fans. The movement was again observed and the students understood the effect of the form they had chosen.