The dynamic panel testing system

This paper describes an innovative approach to earthquake engineering research, both in concept acid in experimental methodology, that will open up a whole new way of thinking and testing in earthquake engineering. The conceptual basis of our approach is that thr behavior of any whole structure can be predicted by integrating what can be learned from experiments about its parts, primarily beam elements and panel elements. Since the behavior of beam elements is already well known, our proposal concentrates on studying the behavior of panel elements. Experimentally we would propose research equipment large enough for full-size panels (typically 5'x5'x7"), and suitable for testing panel elements under dynamic loading. From the dynamic behavior of panel elements we call further establish analytical models. These models, together with known information fi om beam elements, can then be integrated into finite clement programs to compute and predict the dynamic responses of whole structures of any size or form. This clement-based approach to earthquake engineering simulation is distinctly different, but complementary to research using shaking tables.