Live Web Camera
Welcome to the Center for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (CEES) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a member of the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES).
The establishment of CEES is aimed to operate as a multi-disciplinary research center. Our core mission is to be fully committed to conducting excellent earthquake centrifuge modeling. CEES strategy vision is to maximize its contribution, as well as the contributions of other, to earthquake engineering and other aspects of engineering and technology. Our commitment is to provide researchers state-of-the-art facility to conduct analytical, experimental, analytical-experimental, and multi-disciplinary research within, and outside, earthquake engineering.
NEES@RPI Centrifuge
NEES@RPI supports operations of 150-g ton centrifuge facility as well as other state-of-the-art equipment such as inflight robot, 1D and 2D shakers, split container/shaker, high-speed camera, and advance sensors. Researchers will conduct physical model simulation of soil and soil-structure systems subjected to in-flight earthquake shaking through the use of this equipment.
In-Flight Robot
The in-flight robot is designed to perform multiple tasks while the centrifuge is spinning. It is capable of articulating in three linear dimensions and rotating around one axis, and can carry several tools that aid in executing various tasks. The ability to conduct these field operations in-flight increases the accuracy and realism of the experiment. Researchers may fabricate custom tools to use with the in-flight robot.
2D Laminar Container
The 2D Laminar Container is designed specifically for use with RPI’s new 2D shaker and can be used at centrifuge accelerations of up to 100 g. The design of this new RPI 2D laminar container is based upon a similar container for the centrifuge at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The new 2D laminar box incorporates several design enhancements, including a more rigid base plate and a modified “open top” restraint system, so as to facilitate access to the model surface by cameras and by the RPI in-flight robot.
2D Shaker
The 2D shaker is designed to conduct more realistic in-flight earthquake simulations, where the base of the 2D laminar box container with the model is subjected to two prototype horizontal components of earthquake shaking. It can apply shaking to centrifuge models in the prototype horizontal plane while being spun at up to 100 g. By mounting the 2D laminar box on its slip-table, the shaker can provide dynamic excitation to soil models and thereby facilitate investigation of the behavior of scaled geotechnical or soil-structure systems in response to these complex excitations. When not used for providing base input motions for dynamic testing, the shaker can be used to support static model containers for tests of up to 150g.
Split Container/Shaker
The split box is a model container for use in geotechnical centrifuge testing. It uses a hydraulic cylinder to produce localized shear strains along a vertical interface in a dry soil model while being spun at centrifugal accelerations of up to 50g. A load cell directly connected between the actuator and the movable half of the container measures the shearing force applied by the actuator. The motion of the actuator is controlled using a 12-volt solenoid-operated directional control valve. In addition, the strain rate is controlled by a manually adjustable flow-control valve which is used to control the flow-rate of oil to the actuator.
